The NFL season isn’t even halfway over. Meanwhile, the college season is approaching its halfway point. So, it’s about time for the NFL Mock Drafts to begin, including one that has the Arizona Cardinals making a franchise-altering decision.
Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports put together the Mock Draft. In it, he has the Cardinals taking Austin Simmons, the Missouri Tigers quarterback, No. 9 overall.
“Yes, the Cardinals went with Carson Beck in the third round in the last draft, but they go with one of the biggest risers so far this season to be the quarterback of the future,” Tice wrote. “Simmons can spin the football. His aggression, arm talent and weekly improvement has his stock soaring. The thought of him throwing to the Cardinals’ Monstar-sized pass catchers in Mike LaFleur’s system has me excited. Throw in the fact that he turns only 21 next month, and it’s easy to see why Simmons’ arrow is pointed up as he keeps getting better each game.”
This Mock Draft has Simmons as the third quarterback coming off the board. Arch Manning of Texas and Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State are both currently projected to go in the top five. Of course, there is still a lot time for things to change.
Tice admits that the draft order is likely to change. However, he used Tankathon to keep track of where things currently stand.
The Arizona Cardinals QB Situation Has Been a Concern
The Arizona Cardinals arguably haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Kurt Warner retired following the 2009 season. There is a case to be made that Carson Palmer filled that role, even though he was on the back end of his own career, but more often than not the quarterback position has become a major issue.
The last two times the Cardinals used first-round picks on a quarterback, taking Josh Rosen in 2018 and Kyler Murray in 2019, they failed to find long-term answers at the position.
Now, the Cardinals are leaning on veteran Jacoby Brissett. However, he’s likely more of a bridge quarterback before Arizona takes a crack at another first-round quarterback.
There will also be some calls for rookie Carson Beck to play more for the Cardinals at some point this season. However, with a very big quarterback class coming into the NFL, it’s doubtful Arizona wants to risk missing out.
Arch Manning is the highlight of the class. Players like Drew Mestemaker and Austin Simmons are coming on strong this season. Then, there are names like Dante Moore, C.J. Carr, Trinidad Chambliss, and Darian Mensah, among others, to still take into consideration.
What to Know About Austin Simmons
A redshirt junior who played his high school football at Pahokee High School in Florida, Simmons is just 20 years old. He had previously reclassified from the high school class of 2025 to the Class of 2023, making him one of the youngest quarterbacks who is going to be draft-eligible.
Initially, Simmons went to Ole Miss to play for Lane Kiffin. He would even earn the starting job there in 2025, set to replace Jaxson Dart. However, when he suffered an early-season injury, Simmons lost the job to Trinidad Chambliss. Following the season, he transferred to Missouri.
Through five games this season, Simmons has been excellent. He is completing 67.9% of his passes for 1,287 yards and 13 touchdowns. He hasn’t thrown any interceptions. In that time, he’s led Missouri to a 4-1 record.
Incidentally, Chambliss, who took Simmons’ job at Ole Miss, is also projected by Tice to be a first-round pick. He’s down at No. 21 overall, going to the Cleveland Browns.
NFL Mock Draft: Cardinals Projected to Take Franchise QB Out of SEC