Cardinals 7-Round Mock Draft: A Complete Blueprint for Accelerating Rebuild

Welcome to NFL draft week, where the Arizona Cardinals feel a bit more pressure to nail their weekend compared to other organizations.

General manager Monti Ossenfort enters a fourth draft cycle with the Cardinals with little success to show from prior years. With new head coach Mike LaFleur, Arizona's looking to flip the script in more ways than one.

Another mediorce draft would see the Cardinals remain in the basement of the NFC West while jobs could possibly be on the line. Needless to say, 2026's draft class carries just a bit more urgency than prior years to get Arizona's rebuild moving in the right direction.

That's exactly what we do here in this seven-round mock draft:

Round 1, Pick 9 (From KC Trade): Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

*KC trades 9. 29 for 3*

The Cardinals make good on pre-draft rumors and execute a trade down the board for a player that very well could have taken at No. 3 overall. Arizona gets one of the best pass rushers in the draft, and if Bain is the prospect many believe he can be, he'll be a legitimate game wrecker opposite of Josh Sweat for years to come - regardless of his short arms.

Round 1, Pick 29 (From KC Trade): Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

The Cardinals use their second pick in the first round to solidify a spot they very well could address earlier at right tackle with a local product in Iheanachor. The ASU right tackle should immediately be able to start right away for the Cardinals and help shore up an offensive line that desperately needs it on the right side.

Round 2, Pick 34: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

This is a sweet spot for Simpson, who is connected to the Cardinals almost more than any other player at this point in draft festivites. Arizona's able to take the draft's second best quarterback without committing first round resources to Simpson. In the case he doesn't look how Arizona wants him to, a second-round pick won't preclude them from the 2027 quarterback party.

Round 3, Pick 65: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Perhaps an underlooked need for Arizona is along the defensive line, where the Cardinals desperately need a youthful playmaker to pair opposite of Walter Nolen III. Can Banks be that guy? He fits the productive pass rusher in the interior mold that general manager Monti Ossenfort likes but fell due to injuries, which is also another trend for Ossenfort's draft picks.

Round 4, Pick 104: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State

You can never have enough edge rushers, to quote Ossenfort. Here Arizona is able to double down on their youth injection at the position with Dennis-Sutton, who tallied 8.5 sacks in back to back seasons for Penn State with optimal size for an NFL edge rusher as well.

Round 5, Pick 143: Malik Benson, WR, Oregon

Benson is someone the Cardinals have met with in the pre-draft process, and when evaluating what he brings to the table, it makes sense why Arizona is interested in him. Benson is a vertical receiver who can take the top off the defense with his speed alone, which is something the Cardinals don't quite have at the position.

Round 6, Pick 183: Robert Henry Jr., RB, UTSA

The Jeremiyah Love crowd is disappointed with this mock draft, and that's fair — though the Cardinals should look to build the line before adding to the running back room. After doing so earlier, the Cardinals welcome Henry to the mix, an older running back who is ready to contribute here and now.

Round 7, Pick 217: Fernando Carmona Jr., OG, Arkansas

The Cardinals finish out the draft with more resources added to the offensive line in Carmona, a player who has experience at both guard and tackle at the college level. This is your typical "take a versatile guy late in the draft and build him up" pick.

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