Following a disastrous 3-14 season, the Arizona Cardinals own the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While it is their highest pick since 2019, the Cardinals aren’t necessarily in a prime position to draft a quarterback.
Arizona’s ability to land a quarterback with its top pick is dependent on two underclassmen declaring for the draft. Oregon’s Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson are the two players to watch. Should both players declare, it gives the Cardinals a golden opportunity to land a quarterback with their top pick.
The Cardinals just got good news on that front. Simpson announced on his Instagram that he is declaring for the draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the former Alabama quarterback as his third-ranked player at the position, and outside his Top 25, for the 2026 NFL Draft.
That leaves just Moore to account for, although it may be at least one more game before announcing his intentions. Oregon is set to play No. 1 Indiana, led by 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, on January 9. With two potential quarterback targets in the draft, the Cardinals will likely send scouts to the game. Since he’s likely to go in the top five selections, Moore declaring for the NFL seems like a given.
Cardinals Quarterback Plan for 2026
The Cardinals have gone to war with Kyler Murray as their starter since they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2019. Murray has led the team to just one playoff appearance and will now be on his third head coach.
Further complicating the issue is his cap hit. Murray is on the books for $53.6 million, which is the ninth-highest in the NFL, a number that is too high for the Cardinals to keep. It is too expensive for the team to simply release Murray. So the likely avenue would have to be either a trade or bringing him back on a restructured deal.
Here’s how a trade affects the Cardinals’ 2026 cap, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.
- Trade Before June 1: Cardinals save $35.8 million on 2026 cap
- Trade After June 1: Cardinals save $42.5 million on 2026 cap, take a $7.2 million hit in 2027
Due to so many teams that need a quarterback that aren’t in the Top 3, the Cardinals should be able to find a trade partner.
Should they trade Murray, the plan shouldn’t be to draft Mendoza, Moore, or Simpson and start them on Day 1 of camp. Daniel Jones and Malik Willis headline the free agent class next spring. Further complicating their offseason is that they have only $25 million in cap space.
If they prefer a bridge quarterback, which would almost guarantee another losing season, then they could look to bring back Jacoby Brissett, or target Mitch Trubisky or Joe Flacco. Such a move would indicate the team will take a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick.
Early Mock Draft Results
With the offseason beginning, mock drafts will become en vogue for the 18 teams that didn’t qualify for the NFL playoffs. For the Arizona Cardinals, these are the players the draft pundits are predicting the team will draft.
- Pro Football Focus (Trevor Sikkema): Miami OT Francis Mauigoa
- ESPN (Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr.): Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
- CBS (Mike Renner): Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey
- The Ringer (David Kelly): Utah OT Spencer Fano
- USA Today (Ayrton Ostly): Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- The Ringer (Todd McShay): Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
- Fox Sports (Rob Rang): Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
The worst-case scenario for the Cardinals is that Fernando Mendoza goes to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 and Dante Moore to the New York Jets at No. 2. That scenario seems to be the consensus between all the mock drafts linked above.
That would put Arizona and general manager Monti Ossenfort in a tough decision for the No. 3 pick. There isn’t much tape on Simpson, with only one year of starting experience at Alabama. That means the scouting department and offensive coaching staff will need to fill the gaps by evaluating his mental makeup and ability to process the game.
With only one opportunity to draft Simpson, which is with the No. 3 overall pick, they need to be 100% sure if he’s their next franchise quarterback. If not, then Ossenfort would be better off trading down and trying to accumulate draft capital for 2027. If a trade down isn’t an option, then he’ll need to fortify the team in the trenches. The mocks have the Cardinals either taking an offensive lineman, a pass rusher, or Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.
Ty Simpson’s NFL Decision Just Shook Up the Cardinals’ QB Plans