Cardinals Somehow Being Overlooked After NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals, much like every other team, like the additions made in the 2026 NFL Draft — where they welcomed seven new faces to a franchise hoping to turn the page with new head coach Mike LaFleur in place.

While the playoffs are far from an expectation in the desert, there's still plenty of talent on both sides of the ball for Arizona to work with. If LaFleur is anything close to the head coach people want him to be, the Cardinals could very well be in business — even playing in a tough NFC West division.

It's not often where a 3-14 team is overlooked, though that's very much the case in NFL.com's latest power rankings, where Arizona ranks dead last.

Cardinals Rank 32nd in NFL.com Power Rankings

Eric Edholm: "The Cardinals made a call on Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, and I respect the player and the opportunity. I also am not one of these guys who will harp on the 'diminished value' of running backs, because I believe the position is more important now than it was a few years ago, with the run game cycling back into the league again.

"From a market-efficiency standpoint, though, it's not the smartest move, even without a high-priced QB on the roster, and I just worry that Love's rookie year could end up looking like what we just saw with Ashton Jeanty in Vegas. My hope is that Mike LaFleur can start to mold an identity with this offense, pump some life into Marvin Harrison Jr. and upgrade the QB play.

"Love can help with that process, and maybe Carson Beck is a surprise option at quarterback, but it's hard to be overly optimistic for any quick fixes right now."

The Cardinals finished behind the Jets, Dolphins and Raiders in the basement of said power rankings.

Why Cardinals Are Indeed Overlooked

Entertaining the classic "we're not the worst!" argument is always a fun one, though there is indeed a case for the Cardinals here.

As somebody who was very against taking a running back at No. 3, even I have was able to look at Arizona's body of work this offseason (free agency and draft) and appreciate two starting spots being upgraded along the offensive line, especially with Love's playmaking abilities alone now in the mix.

That's combined with some exciting star power in Harrison, Michael Wilson and Trey McBride on offense. And like we said earlier, if LaFleur is close to what the Cardinals think he is as an offensive mind, perhaps Arizona will win a few more games than people think.

That may also be the offseason hope and bliss talking, though I will say Beck isn't viewed as a quick fix in the desert but rather a capable option now who could pan out in the future — though Arizona didn't sink hefty resources into the pick and they're not banking on Beck.

Defensively, the Cardinals simply need to get healthy. There's talent on all three levels of the defense and if Arizona's able to get on the same page, they'll see an uptick from last season.

The concerns with defensive coordinator Nick Rallis returning are understandable, though this unit was a big reason many had hoped the Cardinals would return to the playoffs last season before that obviously didn't happen.

Names such as Walter Nolen III, Josh Sweat, Mack Wilson Sr., Garrett Williams, Will Johnson and Budda Baker headline what should be a completely fine defense (at worst) on paper entering 2026. Perhaps Calais Campbell will get back into the mix as well.

So while Arizona's not quite planning a Lombardi parade, the Cardinals don't quite feel like the worst team in the league at this point of the offseason, at least not compared to a few other organizations.

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