Arizona Cardinals' 2026 NFL Draft Position Officially Locked In

The regular season is officially over. Here's where the Arizona Cardinals will be picking in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) runs after the catch against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals' regular season is finally over after their Week 18 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which sunk them to 3-14 on the season.

The Cardinals put a bow on their 2025 campaign with losses in their last 14-of-15 games, becoming the third team in the Super Bowl era to finish with four or fewer wins after beginning the season 2-0.

On the plus side, the Cardinals are set to pick in the top five in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will mark the third time in the last four cycles for Arizona.

Official 2026 NFL Draft Order

The first seven picks of the draft are cemented:

1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
2. New York Jets (3-14)
3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
5. New York Giants (4-13)
6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
7. Washington Commanders (5-12)

Recent Cardinals NFL Draft History

The Cardinals previously have had first-round picks at slots three, four, sixteen and twenty seven under general manager Monti Ossenfort.

In 2023 -- Ossenfort's first year in charge -- he traded with the Houston Texans from pick three to 12 in the first round before trading back up to No. 6 and taking tackle Paris Johnson Jr. -- who started his career at right tackle before moving to the left side.

The following offseason, Arizona held the the No. 4 pick in 2024, where the Cardinals ultimately stayed and drafted wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. -- who unfortunately has yet to live up to the generational label many placed on him entering the league.

As part of their trade with Houston, the Cardinals also had the 27th overall pick in 2024, which was used to draft defensive lineman Darius Robinson. Robinson dealt with injuries/personal matters during his rookie year while he's failed to fill the box score in 2025.

This past year, the Cardinals stuck at pick 16 and drafted defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, who also has dealt with unfortunate injury luck during his rookie season -- though he flashed every bit of the promise of being a disruptive presence when he played.

Cardinals' Top Draft Needs

The first position many will plug in for Arizona is quarterback, though the Cardinals might just be out of range for the draft's top two passers in Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore.

Arizona reportedly likes Ty Simpson, though many believe he would be a reach where Arizona is slated to pick.

If the Cardinals don't address the quarterback position, Arizona could look to beef up the offensive line with tackles such as Spencer Fano or Francis Mauigoa.

Defensively, the Cardinals could be eying an edge rusher (such as Rueben Bain Jr. or David Bailey) while off-ball players such as linebacker Arvell Reese or safety Caleb Downs are also names to watch.

Players will ultimately fall and rise on NFL draft boards, though the aforementioned players are generally considered to be top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.