The Arizona Cardinals continue to struggle and lose games, which means we must pay more and more attention to the order of the 2026 NFL draft. They suffered their fifth consecutive loss and 10th in their last 11 games, dropping to 3-10 on the season.
However, their place in the NFL draft next year didn’t change. There is, though, a new No. 1 pick in the New York Giants, as the Tennessee Titans won on Sunday. There are now eight teams that are either 2-11 or 3-10. The Cardinals have the lowest pick of the 3-10 teams because of their strength of schedule.
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Cardinals still have 8th overall pick
For the second week in a row, the Cardinals sit with the eighth overall pick. Four other teams also are 3-10 — the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders and New York Jets. The Cardinals’ strength of schedule is .570. the other teams’ range from .486 (the Browns) to .541 (the Jets.
To move up, the Cardinals will need some help from the other 3-10 teams (winning games) to leapfrog them.
Current NFL draft order for picks 1-18
Since the picks after the top 18 are determined by a mix of record and playoff results, let’s have a look at the current NFL draft order for the top 18.
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New York Jets (from Colts)
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: 2026 NFL draft order: Arizona Cardinals’ loss doesn’t move them up