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Arizona Cardinals

NFC NFC West

Draft Needs

Priority Position Level Target Round Notes
1 QB CRITICAL Round 7 Released Kyler Murray; signed Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brissett as bridge options on one-year deals; targeting 2027 draft QB class; 2026 draft may address developmental QB in late rounds
2 OT CRITICAL Round 1 Right tackle is a primary need after offensive line collapse dropped Cardinals from 7th to 30th in EPA per rush; signed Isaac Seumalo (OG) but OT remains a top-3 overall pick priority
3 EDGE HIGH Round 1 Pass rush is a consistent weakness; holding No. 3 overall pick gives Arizona opportunity to draft elite edge talent if they pass on QB; need a long-term foundation pass rusher
4 DT HIGH Round 2 Interior defensive line is a multi-position need; new HC Mike LaFleur (former Rams OC) inherits a defense that needs rebuilding from the ground up after 2025 collapse
5 OG MEDIUM Round 3 Signed Isaac Seumalo to address one guard spot but the interior line rebuild is ongoing; need depth and competition at multiple interior line positions
6 S MEDIUM Round 4 Safety depth is a need; signed Tyler Allgeier at RB but defensive secondary positions remain thin; need a ball-hawking safety in the middle-to-late rounds

Draft Strategy

Balanced Approach

This team takes a balanced approach, weighing both player value and team needs. They will take the best player available when the value is clear, but will also factor in positional need when players are similarly rated.

Team Info

Arizona
City
Cardinals
Nickname
NFC
Conference
West
Division

2026 Draft Picks

7
Total Picks
1
Round 1
3
Top 3 Rounds
0
Compensatory
Round Pick Overall Type Original Team
Rd 1 3 #3 OWN -
Rd 2 34 #34 OWN -
Rd 3 65 #65 OWN -
Rd 4 104 #104 OWN -
Rd 5 143 #143 OWN -
Rd 6 183 #183 OWN -
Rd 7 217 #217 OWN -

Needs Summary

1 QB CRITICAL
2 OT CRITICAL
3 EDGE HIGH
4 DT HIGH
5 OG MEDIUM
6 S MEDIUM

2026 Offseason Moves

+ Additions

Andrew Wingard S FREE AGENCY
from JAX 1-year deal; 7th-year veteran who started last season in Jacksonville
Elijah Wilkinson OG FREE AGENCY
from FA 2-year deal; O-line depth
Gardner Minshew QB FREE AGENCY
from FA $8.0M/yr 1yr
Isaac Seumalo OG FREE AGENCY
from PHI $10.5M/yr 3yr
Kendrick Bourne WR FREE AGENCY
from SF $6.0M/yr 2yr
L.J. Collier DT FREE AGENCY
from ARI $2.5M/yr 1yr
Matt Pryor OT FREE AGENCY
from PHI 1-year deal; O-line depth from Eagles
Roy Lopez DT FREE AGENCY
from DET $5.8M/yr 2yr
Tyler Allgeier RB FREE AGENCY
from ATL $6.1M/yr 2yr

− Losses

Jalen Thompson S FREE AGENCY
to DAL $12.0M/yr 3yr
Kendrick Bourne WR FREE AGENCY
to ARI $6.0M/yr 2yr
Kyler Murray QB RELEASE
to MIN Released after 7 seasons; Cardinals responsible for $36.8M guaranteed on his contract; expected to sign with Minnesota Vikings at veteran minimum