The Arizona Cardinals locked up the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Sunday and experts are beginning to roll out mock drafts left and right.
From quarterback to offensive line, Arizona has several needs and that has meant no clear-cut choice for the player to fill one of them.
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner has the franchise addressing quarterback, mocking Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to the desert.
However, he is the lone to go the QB route out of a selected five pundits.
Fox Sports’ Rob Rang and The Ringer’s Todd McShay mocked Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to the Cardinals, while PFF’s Trevor Sikkema mocked Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and CBS Sports’ Mike Renner mocked Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey.
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Incumbent signal caller Kyler Murray is still on the roster and retained general manager Monti Ossenfort said Monday “all options are on the table” with him. Murray is guaranteed to make nearly $37 million in 2026 and would be owed another $19.5 million if he’s still rostered in mid-March, which is approximately a month out from the draft to be held in Pittsburgh.
This sticky situation played into all five of these expert’s current draft predictions.
Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, hasn’t declared for the draft, as the Hoosiers are still in the hunt for a national championship playing the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl on Friday with a College Football Playoff Championship berth on the line.
Baumgardner didn’t spill any specifics into why Mendoza would be a fit in Arizona but emphasized the move being necessary if the Murray era has in fact gone cold.
The Cardinals could have major leadership questions heading into next season, possibly including at quarterback with the future of the Kyler Murray era in doubt. Now that Arizona is starting over with a new coaching regime, it might be the perfect time to start over under center, too.
For starters, the 6-foot-5 Mendoza would add height, an area where the Cardinals have lacked the past seven years with Murray at the controls. The junior has proven beyond his innate physical abilities, by leading FBS in passing touchdowns (36) and is second in QB rating — USC’s Jayden Maiava leads with a score of 90.0.
He has been clean with the ball as well, throwing just six interceptions through 14 games, which are 1.8% of his 332 pass attempts.
With 34 career starts, Mendoza has more experience than his expected QB competition, as Alabama redshirt junior Ty Simpson has made 31 starts and Oregon redshirt sophomore Dante Moore 28 starts.
Mendoza has one year of eligibility remaining should he choose to forgo entering the draft.
Explanation of other Cardinals mock draft picks
Fox Sports’ Rob Rang/The Ringer’s Todd McShay: RB Jeremiyah Love (JR, Notre Dame)
Love, a junior who spent all three of his college seasons with the Fighting Irish, was one of the four Heisman Trophy finalists and declared for the draft shortly after the award ceremony.
Prior to Mendoza’s crowning as the 2025 Heisman, Love ranked fourth in rushing yards (1,372), fifth in yards per game (114.3) and was third in rushing touchdowns (18). His rushing score total tied a program record and 21 total touchdowns established a record — Jerome Bettis had 20 during the 1991 season.
Rang explained that Arizona may end up looking at a quarterback with its top pick but Love could make “the more immediate impact.”
Whoever is calling the shots in Glendale next season would have a better chance at success with a runaway locomotive like Love, whose size, soft hands and breakaway speed profile similarly to Bijan Robinson.
McShay said the Cardinals will no doubt be seeking a signal caller, but with the realistic possibility that the Raiders and Jets take Mendoza and Moore at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, Love is the best bet as arguably the most talented on the board.
He originally had the running back as his fifth-best option before the 2025 season began, and despite being “a little rich” in the draft pecking order, McShay has not changed his stance on Arizona taking Love.
PFF’s Trevor Sikkema: OT Francis Mauigoa (JR, Miami)
The 6-foot-6 and 315-pound junior has only allowed two sacks and three QB hits at right tackle this season, according to PFF, and has earned first-round consideration from just about every pundit in the business.
Sikkema pointed to the Cardinals’ situation on the right side of the O-line, with Jonah Williams and Kelvin Beachum, who filled in for Williams after he was placed on injured reserve, both hitting free agency this season.
Regardless of when Arizona finds its franchise quarterback, upgrading the offensive line remains a priority. … Francis Mauigoa is a natural fit after starting at right tackle for three straight seasons at Miami. He earned a career-best 85.1 PFF overall grade this season. While there will be questions about his length at the NFL level, Mauigoa’s steadiness and consistency are exactly what Arizona needs up front.
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner: EDGE David Bailey (SR, Texas Tech)
Bailey was rated CBS Sports’ 20th overall prospect and fourth-best at his position, the 6-foot-3 and 250-pound edge rusher totaling 32 solo tackles and a Big 12-leading 14.5 sacks this season.
The senior also forced three fumbles.
Renner said the Cardinals’ top-five slot in 2026 isn’t as much of “a slam dunk” as wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was in 2024, so Bailey is a “safe player at a premium position.”
Bailey is the most explosive edge rusher in the class and can make an immediate impact based on athleticism alone. He saved his best for last with an elite all-around performance against Oregon’s vaunted offensive line in the playoff. A year ago, Bailey couldn’t even crack the starting lineup at Stanford because of his timidness against the run. Now, he was single-handedly shutting down Oregon’s rushing attack, recording four run stops in the loss. Bailey has skyrocketed up draft boards this season.
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