The first pick of the 2026 NFL draft is essentially set. The Raiders will selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza shortly after proceedings start on Thursday night, with the Jets deciding between Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese at No. 2.
The Cardinals will then be in the driver’s seat with plenty of options. They could take whichever of the Jets’ targets is still available, or pivot to a trade back for a team looking to come up, likely for an edge rusher or Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. With a new, offensive-minded head coach in Mike LaFleur, Arizona could also take Love themselves.
Their decision will likely still depend on what the Jets do. New York seems to have settled on Reese, a hybrid linebacker/edge defender with a ton of NFL potential. But deciding to draft Bailey would not be a surprise, and the Cardinals would then have a shot at Reese.
Arizona has drafted hybrid linebackers in the first round of past drafts, including Isaiah Simmons in 2020 and Zaven Collins in 2021. Those picks did not quite work out, as both players struggled to find a role in the Cardinals defense.
But Reese may be a different beast. The Cardinals do see him as an edge rusher, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire, and may not move him around the defense as they did with Simmons and Collins. That would allow him to focus on harnessing his notable athleticism into pass rushing production rather than taking on a more diverse, complicated set of roles.
Arizona has also been increasingly linked with Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson over the past month. They currently lack a long-term starter with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew tapped as stopgap options in 2026. However, the Cardinals are not expected to be aggressive pursuing Simpson, despite some chatter of a trade back up into the first round. Though the team likes him, per Balzer, they will only take him if he falls to one of their picks – likely No. 34 overall, the first pick in the second round. They may even see if he falls to their third-rounder (No. 65) with many teams seemingly targeting the 2027 quarterback class instead.
The Cardinals will draft a quarterback this weekend, Balzer adds, but they have explored the depth of the class. They have shown interest in NDSU’s Cole Payton, and several other passers coming out of Power 5 schools could also be on their radar. But it will all depend on how far those players fall. Arizona’s roster is full of holes, likely inspiring them to prioritize talent and value at each selection rather than honing in on individual positions.
I think Ty is going to be the last one in the green room. Constant camera’s on him. He should have stayed home instead.