football

2026 NFL Draft: Updated Cardinals 4-round mock draft

Yahoo Sports

This time around we go four rounds for our Cardinals mock draft update and commit serious draft capital to the offensive side of the ball.

It's a new era in Arizona as the Cardinals moved on from quarterback Kyler Murray after seven seasons and are staring down a full-blown rebuild starting in 2026. That's the approach we took with this four-round mock draft update and ended up landing some exceptional value and let the team roll the dice on a new young quarterback. First round - LB Arvell Reese - Ohio State An edge defender might not be the Cardinals' top need, but they do need help at linebacker, and we project Ohio State's Arvell Reese to have a Micah Parsons-type impact, whether he's lined up inside or outside.

He is just too much talent to pass up for a defense in desperate need of playmakers. Second round - QB Ty Simpson - Alabama Simpson is a polarizing prospect with film that makes him look like a franchise quarterback and others that show a player who seems to get caught up in big moments. Nevertheless, Arizona has shown an interest, and they roll the dice on him here in hopes they have the long-term replacement for Murray.

Third round - WR Antonio Williams - Clemson The Cardinals have their No. 1 in Marvin Harrison Jr. but need a guy who can create after the catch and be that inside receiver with the RAC ability and that's what Williams brings.

Despite inconsistent quarterback play, Williams was productive and plays bigger than his size on every play. Fourth round - OT Austin Barber - Florida Barber is one of our favorite sleeper tackle prospects in this entire draft. He's got experience at left and right tackle and shows a real balance between his punch and his lower body setup.