Feb. 9, 2026, 9:21 p.m. MT
With the Seattle Seahawks as the newly minted world champions, after having knocked off the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, it is officially the offseason for everyone. What better time than now to have a new mock draft?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together new first-round projections, and the Arizona Cardinals make what some would consider a surprising pick.
Who is their selection with the third overall pick in the draft?
Arizona Cardinals: Round 1, pick No. 3 – Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
The Cardinals are a team we can see trading away Kyler Murray and then going up for Mendoza but if they stay put, they land the best receiver in the draft to pair up with Marvin Harrison Jr.
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A receiver might seem redundant, as the Cardinals have Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson emerged last season as a real threat.
However, he does fit the profile for the Cardinals. Since Monti Ossenfort became general manager, he has only selected players from the SEC and Big Ten in the first two rounds of the draft.
Fellow Buckeye Arvell Reese, a linebacker, is a player to watch. He goes fifth overall to the New York Giants.
The Cardinals could use a big-time pass rusher off the edge like Texas Tech’s David Bailey or Miami’s Reuben Bain, but coming from the Big 12 and ACC, that would stray from the Cardinals’ draft profile.
Tate had 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 for Ohio State.
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