GLENDALE – It is a foregone conclusion who the top two picks of the 2026 NFL draft are going to be on April 23rd. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza and linebacker Arvell Reese are going to the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets respectively. The draft truly begins third overall with the Arizona Cardinals, who will have plenty of options with the pick, including trading it.

After a free agency class heavy on offensive line depth and running back Tyler Allgeier, it’s pretty clear that general manager Monti Ossenfort is going to go pass rush with the team’s first-round pick. Plenty of stellar choices in the top 10 to fulfill that need, but the overwhelming interest from Norte Dame running back Jeremiyah Love creates another option.

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Reports earlier this month had the Washington Commanders, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans all eyeing Love, with some teams thinking about trading up to select him. Arizona already has three RBs on the roster and could be an auctioneer for the third overall pick to get a massive haul.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Defensive players projected in top 10 of 2026 NFL Draft:

Edge – Texas Tech’s David Bailey

Edge -Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr.

S -Ohio State’s Caleb Down

Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

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All teams with reported interest in Love are all in the top 10, Titans are fourth, Commanders are seventh and Chiefs are ninth. Kansas City is the least likely to move up, as it would have to pay the heaviest price for the pick and have already spent big money on former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker in free agency.

Tennessee is right behind Arizona and rightfully could just take a risk that Ossenfort won’t take on a fourth running back on the roster. The team with the biggest motivation to make a trade is Washington. The roster has Jacory Corskey-Merritt and newly signed Rachaad White on the depth chart. Each are still young into their NFL career, but neither have the potential that Love has in this draft.

The Commanders could throw a seventh overall pick and a few other future picks to trade for third overall, giving the Cardinals some much needed assets for their rebuild. The reason Ossenfort should think about trading back is the depth defensively at his disposal.

Pass rushers like Bailey and Bain are projected to be top 7 picks and would be a serious weapon to add opposite side of Josh Sweat. The loss of Jalen Thompson is an underrated piece of this offseason, and Ossenfort could respond to that by taking Downs.

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort speak to the press from the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe after the decision to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon on Jan. 5, 2026.

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The franchise is 19-49 in the past four seasons, with the 2026 season not looking any better. The goal for this draft is to accumulate as much picks and talent as possible, preparing for a serious push in 2027 when Arizona will have $100+ million in cap space. The Cardinals have too many holes for just the third overall pick, trading back a few picks could be beneficial in the long run.

Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports