The Arizona Cardinals Vision Is Clear in 2026 Draft

In an ideal world, if I were Monti Ossenfort, I would have tried to trade down. But it takes two to tango, and if he couldn’t get a trade partner, you’re kind of stuck. Do you take the best player or a prospect at a premium position who was less of a sure thing? The Arizona Cardinals have done the latter in recent years with mixed results, so I don’t totally blame them for changing course here. That said, it’s easy to see how this could go wrong when you just look at how things fared for Ashton Jeanty in Las Vegas last fall. Running backs need a healthy environment around them in order to hit their ceiling. All cards on the table though … I love the player. So I won’t hate the pick.

2 (34) – G CHASE BISONTIS – TEXAS A&M – LOVE IT!

Bisontis finished the cycle as my No. 29 player on my board because I saw a starting guard. He’s athletic, strong and powerful. He has the ability to be a Pro Bowl-level player inside.  As I mentioned on the show on Friday night, he has a connection to Arizona Cardinals OL Coach Justin Frye, so I’m sure there’s a level of comfort that they were getting with him in the building. There are some technique things to work out, but I think Bisontis gives them an upgrade up front. They still have to figure out the tackle spot, however…

3 (65) – QB CARSON BECK – MIAMI – I CAN SEE THE VISION

I’m of the belief that, until you have an answer at quarterback, you keep taking swings. The Arizona Cardinals do not have a franchise quarterback, so taking one in this spot is not offensive. I saw Beck as more of a high-end backup (think Jimmy Garoppolo or Gardner Minshew) than as a future starter, but even if that is all that he ends up being, that is well worth the 65th pick in a bad draft.

This is the most important position on the team, so to pay that price for a player who COULD be the starter, even if he’s more likely to be the long-term backup, is a fine gamble to take.

4 (104) – DT KALEB PROCTOR – SE LOUISIANA – LOVE IT!

We only saw a handful of FCS players get taken in this draft as the impact of the Transfer Portal was felt this weekend. That said, Proctor is a fun player with a high upside. This class was starving for talent on the interior with players that could penetrate into the backfield and impact the quarterback, and he was one of the few who I thought could do that at a high level in the class.

Some time and patience are likely required, but I think he is capable of cracking the rotation and making an impact for the Arizona Cardinals as early as this fall.

4 (143) – WR REGGIE VIRGIL – MIAMI OH – LOVE IT!

Virgil was my No. 144 player on the final board, and the Arizona Cardinals got him at 143, so I’m good with the valuation here. I think he’s a high-floor player in the league who sticks as a fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart who plays special teams and offers vertical ability downfield. At his best, he could be a starting X receiver who may not produce at a high level but does some of the thankless jobs that allow others to hit their full potential in the box score. I’m good with this pick.

6 (183) – LB KARSON SHARAR – IOWA – I CAN SEE THE VISION

The way I feel about Virgil is how I feel about Sharar. He has the potential to be a special teams stalwart and, maybe, grow into a low-end starter on defense at middle linebacker. I don’t think there’s a super high chance of it happening, but it’s definitely within the range of outcomes. But as a third or fourth linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals who helps in the third phase of the game, I feel good about him in that spot.

7 (217) – T JAYDEN WILLIAMS – OLE MISS – I CAN SEE THE VISION

Williams was a late addition to the Shrine Bowl, so I got to see him in person this offseason. I thought he was just okay in limited reps working at both tackle spots. As a late pick in a shallow draft, I don’t have high expectations, but I won’t argue with the Arizona Cardinals taking a shot on a premium position player late in the draft to see if he can come in and give you some value as a potential swing tackle in the future.

Arizona Cardinals OVERALL Draft Grade

A lot of the feelings around this draft class will be felt by pre-draft expectations by Arizona Cardinals fans and experts alike. Many wanted or hoped for a trade down to acquire more picks and to fortify the offensive line.

Many began to talk themselves into QB Ty Simpson. With neither of those things happening, instead landing Beck and a running back in the top three selections, I can get how it can be tough to get too excited.

Here’s what I’ll say. If Love turns into a top two or three running back in the league, and Mike LaFleur hits the ground at a full-sprint as a head coach, this offense could be very exciting this fall.

If Nick Rallis’ defense can stay healthy, I think they can be really feisty.

If Carson Beck shows signs of life as a future starter, awesome. If he doesn’t? No harm, no foul. He’ll be the backup by the end of his rookie deal and the Arizona Cardinals will take a quarterback high a year from now.

At the end of the day, I think they added good players to the roster. I’ll take that every time.

NFC WEST ROUND-UP

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Speaking of Ty Simpson, the Rams shocked (most of) the world by selecting the Alabama signal caller at No. 13 overall on Thursday night. Like Love, if he hits, people will not question the selection. If he doesn’t, it will be one of the biggest gaffes on Les Snead’s resume. Such is life when taking a quarterback high in the draft.

Outside of that, I was surprised to see the Rams address tight end in Round Two after doing the same a year ago. They traded two picks to the Eagles to move up for sixth-year WR CJ Daniels, who has had a long-standing foot injury. They took a similarly-aged player in Missouri OL Keagen Trost in the third-round.

The vibes aren’t overly great with the class, and I get why people will question it, but time will tell.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

The 49ers traded out of the first round and picked up the first pick in Round Two, where they surprised people with their selection of WR De’Zhaun Stribling. I think he’s a good fit for what they do, but that was a bit rich for my blood. They took the first non-Combine invite in RB Kaelon Black, making him the third running back off the board in one of the weakest classes in recent memory. I was shocked by that pick, even though Black is a solid prospect.

My favorite picks for them came on the third day, where DT Gracen Halton is a good fit in their defensive scheme as an intense upfield gap shooter. I liked the upside swing on traitsy LB Jaden Dugger from Indiana in the fifth round. He has the skillset to thrive in that defense if he gets coached up. I honestly liked CB Ephesians Prysock (fourth round) and T Enrique Cruz JR (fifth round) as well. Their Day Three collection impresses me more than what they did through the first three rounds.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

A lot of people mocked RB Jadarian Price to the Seahawks but I didn’t think they’d actually go through with the selection. That said, he was my clear No. 2 back in the class behind Love, and they had a big need at the position. They didn’t have a ton of picks going in, so after maneuvering down the board multiple times I like that they walked away with eight selections. I like the additions they made to the secondary on Day Two with productive ballhawk Bud Clark, who will be a fan favorite in Seattle and a fun player to hate for rival fans. Arkansas CB Julian Neal has a ton of talent but limited starting experience.