The NFL Draft is full of mystique, but it doesn’t get more mysterious than what the Arizona Cardinals plan to do.
They can go in a variety of different directions; with the No. 3 overall selection in their pocket, every avenue is possible. That includes trading down the board, which is something general manager Monti Ossenfort is no stranger to.
Speculation Clouds Cardinals’ First-Round Plans in Draft
With first-year head coach Mike LaFleur at the helm, the most important thing the Cardinals do for the future of the franchise is to stabilize the quarterback position. After releasing former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray last month, the Cardinals re-signed Jacoby Brissett, who found success under center last season in Murray’s stead. However, Brissett is a placeholder, not a long-term solution.
The only problem is that the only quarterback in this class worthy of a top-five selection is Indiana’s Heisman-winning passer Fernando Mendoza, and he’s universally projected as the Las Vegas Raiders’ pick at No. 1 overall.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson is another option, but the Cardinals spending the No. 3 overall pick on him would be a significant reach when he’s projected to slip into the latter stages of the first round, and potentially even into the second.
The Cardinals could solidify the offensive line with either one of Francis Mauigoa from Miami or Utah’s Spencer Fano. They could pluck a member of the Ohio State trio: safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Sonny Styles, or pass rusher Arvell Reese.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is also on the table, with James Conner on the heels of a season-ending foot injury and entering a contract year at 31 years old by the time the season starts. The only free agent acquisitions in the backfield this offseason were Tyler Allgeier, who played for the Atlanta Falcons last year, and Zonovan Knight, who spent last season with the Cardinals and re-signed with the team in March.
Kyle Odegard, a Cardinals insider for Sporting News, insisted that they should consider trading down rather than taking a swing for one of those aforementioned prospects.
That Will Anderson trade ended up backfiring but it was smart process. They should absolutely look to trade down again and get their right tackle a few spots later. https://t.co/oSk2GvTlOg
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) April 16, 2026
Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is also an option for the Cardinals, but in light of some recent news, he could slide just enough in the first round that a team could trade back and still acquire him. Blake Allen Murphy, the host of the Red Bird Reboot podcast, laid out that scenario in a post on X.
Best case scenario in my opinion is they trained back for Ruben Bain, and are able to accumulate enough assets to move up for a right tackle
They then get Nuss in the third round or Allar in the fourth https://t.co/03OHs1DroZ
— Blake Allen Murphy (@blakemurphy7) April 16, 2026
SBNation’s Jared Mueller is reading between the lines:
“We are open for business, send better offers” https://t.co/HyDOizSRXn
— Jared Mueller (@JaredKMueller) April 16, 2026
Easton Freeze, who covers the Tennessee Titans for AtoZ Sports, shares a similar sentiment. The Cardinals are opening the door for a trade and not being shy about it; that could be of particular interest to the Titans, who hold the No. 4 overall pick directly behind them.
“Come and get your favorite OSU defender, friends” https://t.co/ZvDnv8svGD
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) April 16, 2026
Ossenfort has pulled off a similar maneuver in the past, and ironically enough, it was from the same spot at No. 3. The Cardinals traded with the Houston Texans to move back to No. 12, then flipped places with the Detroit Lions and leapt all the way back up to No. 6. They used that pick to draft Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
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According to PFSN’s NFL Player OL Impact Metric, Johnson posted an impact score of 74.4 last season and ranked 43rd among players at his position.
