March 29, 2026, 11:55 a.m. MT

It is mock draft season, and the most recent trend has been linking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to the Cardinals. Sometimes, he goes to the Cardinals in the second round. Other times, it is with the Cardinals trading up, and one even had the Cardinals taking him third overall.

There is yet another mock draft in which the Cardinals get Simpson.

NFL.com’s Mike Band has a new first-round mock draft, and the Cardinals make their selection with the third overall pick and then trade back into the first round to land Simpson.

These are the Cardinals’ moves:

Round 1, No. 3 overall: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa

Arizona’s next franchise quarterback will have a much better chance if the Cardinals build the supporting infrastructure first. With Paris Johnson Jr. locked in at left tackle, Mauigoa gives Arizona a long-term answer on the right side and helps solidify the pocket in a division built on pressure.

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This has been a common projection for the Cardinals. Getting a long-term right tackle is great, and Mauigoa will have a fine career, probably. However, the Cardinals have options at right tackle this year, even if none of them are exciting. They have done nothing with their edge rushers, and the best prospects in this draft are pass rushers. So passing on a pass rusher for a tackle would be like what the Cardinals did in 2023. Now, Paris Johnson is very good, but Will Anderson is game-changing.

Round 1, No. 26 overall: Alabama QB Ty Simpson

The Cardinals are firmly in the market for a quarterback of the future. A move back into Round 1 for Simpson would align with the growing smoke around his fit in Mike LaFleur’s offense, giving the Cards a play-action-friendly passer they can develop behind a veteran bridge.

The Cardinals trade up from No. 34 overall to No. 26, making a deal with the Buffalo Bills. The mock draft doesn’t specify what it cost, but in a different one, they had to give up their third-round pick in this draft and their third-rounder in 2027.

That means giving up three assets to get one question mark at quarterback. Yes, he has some tools. But is he going to come close to being successful with the current roster of the Cardinals?

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