NFL Rumors: Cardinals Could Make Surprising Move at the Draft

April 17, 2026 ,
Arizona Cardinals logo at training facility in 2016.

The worst-kept secret in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle is that the Arizona Cardinals don't particularly want to be sitting at third overall when the lights come on in Pittsburgh next Thursday. 

Under GM Monti Ossenfort, Arizona has made a habit of shifting the board, trading up, trading down, accumulating capital, and this year is no different. 

The Ringer's Todd McShay said on his podcast this week: "Trading out of No. 3 remains one of the priorities, or one of the things that could absolutely happen with Arizona." The Cardinals currently hold just seven picks, three of them in the top 100, and new head coach Mike LaFleur is inheriting a roster with holes everywhere. 

According to SI's Albert Breer, Arizona is one of five teams, along with Tennessee at No. 4, the Giants at No. 5, Cleveland at Nos. 6 and 24, and Washington at No. 7, already exploring the possibility of dropping down the board. 

The problem for all of them is finding a motivated buyer in a class that lacks the blue-chip quarterback prospects that typically fuel blockbuster trade-up packages.

Who Would Actually Make the Call

The most frequently cited trade partner for Arizona is Dallas. 

The Dallas Cowboys hold picks No. 12 and No. 20 in the first round and need an impact pass rusher after moving on from Micah Parsons last season. 

David Bailey, the Big 12's leading sack artist out of Texas Tech, is the target, and with Bailey unlikely to fall past the top five, Dallas has urgency. 

McShay noted the Texas connection: "Keep it in state. Texas Tech, pass-rusher. Most importantly, they've put all their efforts into rebuilding that defense over the last year." For Dallas to jump from 12 to 3, the price would be steep, comparable to the Texans' move for Will Anderson three years ago, which cost two firsts, a second, and a third. 

New Orleans is another name in the mix, picking at No. 8 with interest in jumping a few spots, per Breer. The Commanders at No. 7 have also been linked, potentially targeting Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love before Tennessee or the Giants can grab him. 

The logic for Arizona is to drop into the 7-12 range, grab an offensive tackle like Utah's Spencer Fano or Miami's Francis Mauigoa who would have been a reach at 3, and use the extra capital to trade back into the late first for Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who three of the top draft analysts mocked to Arizona on Wednesday. 

Why It Might Not Happen

The entire premise depends on someone being desperate enough to pay full freight for a pick that isn't attached to a consensus franchise quarterback. 

Fernando Mendoza is a lock at No. 1 to Las Vegas, and after that the board is murky. Teams looking to move up for Bailey or Arvell Reese are gambling that both players don't slide, which is far from guaranteed. 

Albert Breer noted the lack of elite talent at the top of this class is specifically limiting suitor demand for these picks, as the asking price is high, and the urgency is lower than usual. 

Arizona can afford to wait. Their fallback is taking the best player available at No. 3, whether that's Bailey or someone else, and they won't be in a worse position than they started. But Ossenfort's history and the volume of public chatter suggest this is something that could actually happen.

Photo Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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