Monday Night Football Pushed Cardinals Out of Prime Draft Position

The Arizona Cardinals are no longer picking in the top five thanks to the result of Monday Night Football.

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon reacts against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals held a top-five draft position for all of 24 hours before Monday Night Football pushed them down the order.

After their Week 16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Cardinals moved up from No. 6 to 5 as the Tennessee Titans (who are also 3-12) has just a slightly harder strength of schedule, which is the first tiebreaker for teams in the draft order.

Yet with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night, Arizona's overall strength of schedule increased, allowing the Titans to jump into the fifth spot with just two weeks remaining.

Current 2026 NFL Draft Order

Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon shake hands following a game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

1. New York Giants (2-13)
2. Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
3. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
4. New York Jets (3-12)
5. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
6. Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
7. Washington Commanders (4-11)
8. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
10. Miami Dolphins (6-9)

READ: Cardinals Get Chaotic in New Mock Draft

The Cardinals at-worst will finish with the No. 9 overall pick, but that's assuming they win their last two games. Arizona's on the road to play the Bengals and Rams to conclude 2025, and they're sizable underdogs in both matchups.

Where Are Cardinals Projected to Pick?

According to The Athletic, the Cardinals have less than a one percent chance to land the No. 1 overall pick and just an 8% chance to get the No. 2 selection.

Quarterbacks could very well go 1-2 in the 2026 NFL Draft depending on who is picking, which would leave Arizona out to dry (no desert pun intended).

However, the Cardinals have 26% odds for both the No. 3 and 4 picks -- so according to their calculations, it's more likely than not Arizona will be picking in the top four.

READ: 2 Cardinals Make 2026 Pro Bowl

That's where general manager Monti Ossenfort has picked in two of his three previous drafts, so it'd be familiar territory.

Rounding out their percentage chances, the Cardinals have a 16% chance to pick at No. 5 and 14% odds to stick in their current spot at No. 6. There's a 9% chance they'll draft at the seventh slot and less than a one percent chance they'll pick eighth or higher.

Safe to say, the Cardinals still have fairly good odds to have a high pick regardless of the shift thanks to Monday Night Football, though it certainly didn't help Arizona in the short-term.