Cardinals' Draft Position Climbs After Week 15 Loss

The Arizona Cardinals are almost in top five territory.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon reacts from the sideline during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The lone bright spot of the Arizona Cardinals' losing ways since Week 3 has been their slide into the top spots of 2026 NFL Draft positioning, and their latest loss has pushed them even closer to securing a top-five selection.

The Cardinals dropped to 3-11 after their 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 15, marking their 11th loss in 12 games.

As a result, Arizona now holds the sixth overall pick with three games to go:

Current 2026 NFL Draft Order

1. New York Giants (2-12)
2. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
3. Tennessee Titans (2-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
5. New York Jets (3-11)
6. Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
7. New Orleans Saints (4-10)
8. Washington Commanders (4-10)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
10. Los Angeles Rams (via ATL Falcons, 5-9)

If the Cardinals lose out, their floor is the sixth overall pick thanks to the one game difference between them and the Saints/Commanders/Bengals.

Strength of schedule is the first tie-breaker for draft order, so that's why the Cardinals are sixth and not higher than any of the other two 3-11 squads.

According to The Athletic, the Cardinals have essentially locked in a top ten pick for 2026 while owning 58% odds to land in the top five. Their odds of getting the No. 1 pick are just 2%, however.

Arizona's only favored in one game in their remaining three weeks, which comes against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. They then finish their 2025 schedule on the road at Cincinnati/Los Angeles.

What Would Cardinals Do With Top 5 Pick?

The Cardinals, unfortunately, aren't strangers to owning top five picks under general manager Monti Ossenfort. In the 2023 NFL Draft the Cardinals held the No. 3 pick initially before trading down while the 2024 NFL Draft so Arizona pick at No. 4.

This was supposed to be a postseason year from the Cardinals, so all options appear to be on the table moving forward.

That includes a quarterback, which is why it's imperative for many Cardinals fans the organization finishes within striking distance of the top three picks so Arizona can potentially nab their guy of the future.

Ossenfort clearly isn't afraid to wheel-and-deal during drafts, so that should be interesting to monitor over the coming months regardless of where the Cardinals originally pick.

Other positions to watch would be along the offensive line, edge rusher and maybe even safety or wide receiver depending on how the offseason shakes out.