The 2026 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, as the annual event begins on Thursday, April 23 in Pittsburgh. <\/p>\n
The Arizona Cardinals are coming off a tough season and are selecting very high in the draft. With two picks in the top 34, will the Cardinals be able to accelerate their rebuild under new head coach Mike LaFleur?<\/p>\n
Below, we\u2019ll put together a Cardinals 2026 NFL mock draft for the first three rounds. Plus, some 2026 NFL Draft predictions can be made on PrizePicks.<\/p>\n
Make your picks<\/a> for the 2026 NFL Draft on PrizePicks now.<\/p>\n {{nfl_offer_banner=”\/style-system\/ui-components-playbook”}}<\/p>\n Cardinals 2026 NFL Mock Draft<\/p>\n The Cardinals suffered through a third consecutive losing season under now-former head coach Jonathan Gannon. After a 3-13 campaign in 2025, Arizona finds itself selecting third overall, the highest selection the organization has made since selecting QB Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick in 2019.<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible that the Cardinals could trade back if the right offer presents itself. After all, for a rebuilding franchise like Arizona, acquiring extra draft choices wouldn\u2019t be a bad idea if the team has several high-end players on its board.<\/p>\n For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll assume that the Cardinals are staying put.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a list of Arizona\u2019s selections in the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft:<\/p>\n Round 1: Pick 3Round 2: Pick 34Round 3: Pick 65<\/p>\n Who could the Cardinals target with their first three selections? Let\u2019s dive into how the team might operate with our Cardinals 2026 NFL mock draft. <\/p>\n All 2026 NFL Draft payout data is from PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a>. It’s live as of writing but is subject to change.<\/p>\n Round 1, Pick 3: Francis Mauigoa (OT, Miami)<\/p>\n The Cardinals should have a ton of options with the No. 3 pick. If Arizona ends up hanging onto the pick, shoring up the offensive line makes a ton of sense. <\/p>\n Arizona allowed 59 sacks last season, the fifth-most in the NFL. Miami OT Francis Mauigoa could go a long way towards anchoring the offensive line for years to come.<\/p>\n At 6\u20196″ and 315 pounds, Mauigoa has all the makings of a dominant and powerful tackle. He thrives as a run blocker and earned a 79.4 run block grade in 2025 (23rd in the country), according to Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mauigoa excels at the point of attack and uses his strength to bully the opposition.<\/p>\n The Hurricanes ended up being a strong rushing team in 2025, finishing fourth in the ACC in TDs (28). A lot of that had to do with the push that Mauigoa consistently was getting at the line of scrimmage; he consistently opened up holes for RB Mark Fletcher and company.<\/p>\n The Cardinals did sign former Atlanta Falcons RT Elijah Wilkinson to a two-year deal in the offseason, but a stud OT\u00a0could remain a priority as the organization searches for a franchise QB. <\/p>\n Mauigoa has the talent to start right away at RT and could give Arizona a bookend piece for the next several years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cardinals OL\u00a0First Position Drafted: Yes 1.35x | No 1.01x<\/p>\n Make Francis Mauigoa NFL Draft predictions for real money on PrizePicks.<\/a><\/p>\n Round 2, Pick 34: Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)<\/p>\n The Cardinals made a big change this offseason by releasing Murray after seven seasons. Arizona does have veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II on its roster, but selecting a QB still may still be a good idea. <\/p>\n If Ty Simpson ends up being available at No. 34, perhaps the Cardinals pounce on the Alabama signal-caller. According to ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter<\/a>, the Cardinals and New York Jets are the two teams that are the most interested in potentially drafting Simpson<\/a>.<\/p>\n In his lone season as Alabama\u2019s starting QB, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards in addition to 28 TDs compared to just 5 INTs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Simpson is the definition of a pocket passer. He remains calm and can climb in the pocket if he needs to. The Crimson Tide standout doesn\u2019t have elite arm strength, yet maintains solid enough distance and velocity to get the job done.<\/p>\n In a four-game span in SEC\u00a0play against No. 5 Georgia, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Missouri, and No. 11 Tennessee, Simpson completed 69.0% of his passes for 1,069 yards, 9 TDs, and 1 INT.<\/p>\n If the Cardinals were to pick Simpson, he very well could sit behind Brissett and\/or Minshew as a rookie and hone his craft before taking over in 2027.<\/p>\n Cardinals to Draft Ty Simpson: Yes 2x | No 1.75x<\/p>\n Make Ty Simpson NFL Draft predictions for real money on PrizePicks.<\/a><\/p>\n Round 3, Pick 65: Keyron Crawford (EDGE, Auburn)<\/p>\n Keyron Crawford (6\u20194 251) Auburn<\/p>\n + 27.0% win rate on true pass sets during the 2025 season – 24.4% missed tackle rate in 2025 \u2014 Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) February 10, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n It\u2019s safe to say that the Cardinals’ defense struggled to slow down its opponents in 2025, registering just 30 sacks (third-fewest). Grabbing an effective pass rusher in the early rounds should be one of the team\u2019s top priorities in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n Auburn EDGE Keyron Crawford is an underrated prospect that excels at getting to the QB. As a senior, he registered 36 tackles (28 solo), 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 INT for the Tigers.<\/p>\n Crawford normally lines up as a stand-up pass rusher and uses his speed to get to the point of attack. He could be a 3-4 OLB\u00a0at the NFL level, especially considering his size at 6\u20194″ and 253 pounds.<\/p>\n According to Pro Football Focus<\/a>, Crawford recorded 43 pressures in 2025, ranking 47th out of 852 edge rushers in the nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Crawford does need to improve his awareness when defending the run. Still, upside in terms of what he brings to the table, and the Cardinals could really use some help opposite Josh Sweat.<\/p>\n Make Keyron Crawford NFL Draft predictions for real money on PrizePicks.<\/a><\/p>\n {{nfl_offer_banner=”\/style-system\/ui-components-playbook”}}<\/p>\n Make 2026 NFL Draft Picks on PrizePicks<\/p>\n The Cardinals could elect to address the offense early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Will Arizona make a splash and use some capital on some highly regarded prospects, including a potential franchise QB?\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t wait until draft night \u2014 make your 2026 NFL Draft picks<\/a> on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you\u2019re right.<\/p>\n On PrizePicks Team Picks<\/a>, the possibilities are plentiful. You can make predictions on specific 2026 NFL Draft picks, team selections, position groups, and more. Additionally, the NFL tab<\/a> is already open with Super Bowl LXI winner picks available.\u00a0<\/p>\n Keep it right here with the Playbook<\/a> for continued NFL predictions<\/a>, picks, news, and analysis all year long.<\/p>\n Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d\/b\/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state. Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com\/predict-regulatory<\/a>. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.<\/p>\n
+ Pursuit speed
+ High effort pass rusher
+ 43 pressures in 2025
+ Versatility to play linebacker and on the edge
+ First step quickness<\/p>\n
– Arm length\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/WnIqlAtw7x<\/a><\/p>\n