Arizona Cardinals 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Cardinals' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Arizona Cardinals Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Quarterback
2. Defensive Line
3. Offensive Line

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Arizona Cardinals 2026 Draft Capital

The Cardinals have the 8th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Arizona Cardinals 2026 NFL Draft Picks

Find the complete list of Cardinals draft picks in our 2026 NFL Draft order tracker.

Arizona Cardinals Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Cardinals to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Arizona Cardinals Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Arizona Cardinals, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Jacoby Brissett
2. Gardner Minshew
3. Kedon Slovis

Moving on from Kyler Murray to open the new season, Arizona is once again back in the market searching for a long-term answer at quarterback.

Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew are both under contract for only the 2026 season.

Brissett made 12 starts for the Cardinals a year ago, with the team going 1-11 in those games.

Brissett’s teams are 20-45 in his starts over his 10-year career.

Minshew’s teams have not fared much better, going 17-30 in his starts.

To be fair to Brissett, he did play well in his first three starts last year when taking over for Murray.

Arizona was competitive in losses against the Colts and Packers.

They defeated the Cowboys on the road.

Brissett completed 65.8% of his passes for 7.7 yards per pass attempt with a 5.4% touchdown rate and 0.9% interception rate during those games.

Then the team sustained so many mounting injuries on both sides of the ball that things completely unraveled for organization, leading to all of the offseason changes.

The Cardinals led for just 47 offensive snaps over the final nine games of the 2025 season, ahead of only the Raiders (36) and Jets (30).

Brissett completed 64.9% of his passes for 6.7 Y/A, a 4.6% touchdown rate, and a 1.9% interception rate during that run.

He was sacked 30 times over that span, the second-most in the league.

Regardless of how much runway Brissett gets in 2026, we know he and Minshew (should he start games) are not the long-term solution at the position.

Even if Arizona is not in a spot to aggressively take a quarterback at No. 3 overall, they are in play to take a swing at a quarterback at some point of the draft.

Running Back

1. Tyler Allgeier
2. James Conner
3. Trey Benson
4. Bam Knight
5. Corey Kiner

This backfield was a complete MASH unit in 2025.

No Arizona running back carried the ball 100 times during the season, with Michael Carter leading the team with 92 rushes.

James Conner played three games before suffering a foot injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Conner will turn 31 this May, staying with the team on a one-year restructured contract.

Trey Benson only made it one game further into the season.

Benson suffered a meniscus injury in Week 4 and never returned.

Through two seasons in the league, Benson has 111 touches for 574 yards (5.2 yards per touch).

He still has two years remaining on his rookie contract.

Bam Knight ended up second on the team in rushing attempts (82) and touches (104), turning those opportunities into 429 total yards and 5 touchdowns.

Knight was also retained on a one-year contract.

With the backfield unsettled due Conner’s age and injury history, paired with Benson’s limited resume through two seasons, Arizona added Tyler Allgeier at the start of free agency, inking him to a two-year contract.

Allgeier has been one of the league’s most effective early down backs since he entered the league.

Among 56 running backs with 300-plus attempts since he was drafted, Allgeier’s 42% success rate ranks 7th.

He has a first down on touchdown on 25.3% of his runs over that span, also 7th.

The limitations are that he has not been overly explosive (his 9.8% explosive run rate ranks 37th), and he was not used much in the passing game.

Allgeier played 27.7% of the passing snaps on his rookie deal with Atlanta with no more than 18 receptions in any season.

Getting away from Bijan Robinson can aid a spike in more passing game involvement.

Wide Receiver

1. Marvin Harrison Jr.
2. Michael Wilson
3. Kendrick Bourne
4. Xavier Weaver
5. Devin Duvernay
6. Simi Fehoko
7. Jalen Brooks
8. Tejhaun Palmer
9. Andre Baccellia
10. Bryson Green
11. Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Things did not go much better for Marvin Harrison Jr. in year two after a mixed rookie campaign.

Harrison ended the season catching 41 of 73 targets for 608 yards and 4 touchdowns, logging 5 drops.

His second season was marred with injuries on top of another mixed sample on the field.

Harrison suffered a concussion that forced him to leave Week 6.

He then got appendicitis that required surgery in November, and then suffered a foot injury that landed him on injured reserve to close the season.

Harrison ended up playing only 85 offensive snaps after Week 10.

No matter where you want to attribute blame between Harrison's own play, quarterback play, or deployment with the Arizona offense, it is hard not label his first two seasons as underwhelming.

Among first and second-year receivers to run 200-plus routes over the past two seasons, Harrison’s 1.62 yards per route run rank 14th.

His 51.5 yards per game rank 11th.

What makes his struggles so fascinating is that once he went down, Michael Wilson immediately stepped into a large role and flourished.

After 565 yards on 38 receptions as a rookie in 2023 and then 548 yards on 47 catches in 2024, Wilson pulled in 78 of 126 targets for 1,006 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Over the final eight games of the season, Wilson was tied for second among wide receivers in receptions (56) and was second in receiving yards (775).

Only Puka Nacua caught more passes for more yards than Wilson over that stretch.

In nine games before that, Wilson had 22 catches for 231 yards and 1 touchdown.

Entering the final season of his rookie contract, the question will be can Wilson co-exist as a contributor alongside Harrison.

Wilson ran 327 routes with Harrison on the field last year.

On those plays, he was targeted on 12.5% of his routes with 0.85 yards per route.

On 303 routes run with Harrison off the field, Wilson was targeted on 28.1% of his routes with 2.40 yards per route run.

This was on full display when Harrison played sparingly to close the season.

On the 56 plays that Wilson played with Harrison after Week 10, he only was targeted on 17.9% of his routes compared to a 30.1% rate with Harrison sidelined.

Moving on from Greg Dortch this offseason (29 catches for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns), Arizona signed veteran glue-guy Kendrick Bourne.

Bourne caught 37 passes for 551 yards with San Francisco last season.

Forced to step into a WR1 role for two weeks early in the season, Bourne had games with 10 catches for 142 yards and 5 catches for 142 yards.

Even though I would not label receiver as a need in this draft, contractual depth is lacking.

The only players here signed beyond the 2026 season are Harrison and Bourne.

Xavier Weaver will be a restricted free agent while Tejhaun Palmer and Bryson Green are exclusive rights free agents.

Tight End

1. Trey McBride
2. Elijah Higgins
3. Tip Reiman
4. Teagan Quitoriano
5. Rivaldo Fairweather

Trey McBride was one of the bright spots for Arizona in a lost year.

McBride collected 126 receptions (2nd in the league) for 1,239 yards (6th), and 11 touchdowns (tied for 2nd).

With back-to-back seasons clearing 1,000 yards, McBride has established himself as one of the top tight ends in the NFL, if he is not considered the best right now.

McBride already signed a huge extension that runs through 2029, so he is all taken care of big picture.

Elijah Higgins will be an unrestricted free agent after the season while Tip Reiman still has two season remaining on his rookie contract.

Offensive Line

LT: Paris Johnson, Josh Fryar, Demontrey Jacobs
LG: Isaac Seumalo, Jon Gaines
C: Hjalte Froholdt, Hayden Conner
RG: Isaiah Adams, Matt Pryor
RT: Elijah Wilkinson, Olisaemeka Udoh, Christian Jones

The Arizona offensive line was a disaster in 2025 and should be an area of emphasis during the draft.

Ravaged by injuries, Arizona’s most-frequently used offensive line combination was on the field for 23.7% of their snaps, 26th in the league.

The only player up front to appear in all 17 games was center Hjalte Froholdt.

The middle to left side of the line has starters in place for 2026 in Froholdt, Isaac Seumalo, and Paris Johnson, but there is still plenty of work to be done here.

Froholdt is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

The next decision Arizona will face is picking up the fifth-year option for Johnson (which would be $19.1 million).

Johnson has ended the past two seasons out of the lineup, missing eight games over the past two seasons.

While on the field, Johnson allowed a 6% pressure rate, which ranked 49th among tackles with 100 or more pass blocking snaps.

He was credited with 5 sacks allowed (tied for 73rd at the position) with 7 penalties (tied for 61st).

Right tackle was an outright travesty for this team in 2025.

Jonah Williams (589 snaps) and Kelvin Beachum (525) combined to allow 9 sacks with 12 penalties.

Neither are with the team heading into 2026.

Arizona added journeymen Elijah Wilkinson, Oli Udoh, and Matt Pryor as depth and competition on the right side.

Isaiah Adams was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft.

Adams has made 16 starts over two seasons, playing the most snaps at right guard last season (694).

Adams was 55th in overall grade per Pro Football Focus last season at his position.

The team signed Seumalo to play left guard, who can still get it done when on the field.

He was 17th among graded guards last season.

The rub is that Seumalo will be 33 this October and missed 7 games over the past two seasons.

Arizona Cardinals Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Arizona Cardinals, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Walter Nolen
2. Darius Robinson
3. Roy Lopez
4. Dante Stills
5. Andrew Billings
6. L.J. Collier
7. Jonah Williams
8. PJ Mustipher
9. Zachary Carter

Arizona struggled to stop the run in 2025, allowing 4.8 yards per running back carry (27th) and 3.38 yards before contact on those runs (27th).

Dalvin Tomlinson left in free agency, and Calais Campbell remains a free agent.

Arizona did a good job adding depth to the defensive front in free agency, signing Roy Lopez, Andrew Billings, and Jonah Williams.

They also have 2025 first-round pick Walter Nolen, who they will hope for more from after he was limited to six games last season.

Nolen flashed as a pass rusher on limited opportunities, logging 2 sacks and a 16.3% pressure rate.

2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson could be a different story.

Robinson also only played six games in his rookie season, and he struggled across 507 snaps last year.

Robinson was 90th among qualified defensive linemen in run stuff rate last year, and he has a career 3.3% pressure rate.

The Cardinals have spent two first-round picks on this unit and brought in a few players in free agency, but this still looks like a trouble spot on the roster.

Nolen could end up being an impact player, but even if that happens, he is the only real high-level player the Cardinals have up front.

Edge Defenders

1. Josh Sweat
2. Zaven Collins
3. Baron Browning
4. BJ Ojulari
5. Jordan Burch
6. Elliott Brown
7. Eku Leota

Despite putting resources into the pass rush last offseason, the Cardinals finished 27th in pressure rate and 28th in sacks.

To be fair to Josh Sweat, he did his part.

Sweat recorded a 13.9% pressure rate and 12 sacks in his first season with the team.

Zaven Collins only logged 1.5 sacks on somewhat limited opportunities, but he did have a strong 14.2% pressure rate.

It was a similar story for Baron Browning, who had 2 sacks but a 13.8% pressure rate.

Arizona also still has the hope of BJ Ojulari, who was limited to eight games last season and has played 25 through his first three years in the league.

The Cardinals might have more talent here than it appears based on their numbers from last season, but there is also no proven production behind Sweat.

It would not be surprising if the Cardinals drafted an edge rusher with their first pick even if it is not the biggest need on the roster.

If Arizona does add someone like Texas Tech's David Bailey, this group would suddenly look like a strength.

Linebacker

1. Mack Wilson
2. Cody Simon
3. Jack Gibbens
4. Owen Pappoe
5. Austin Keys

Akeem Davis-Gaither left in free agency after one season with the Cardinals, opening up a hole at linebacker.

Mack Wilson is back after playing just eight games last season.

He has been solid over his two years with the Cardinals, allowing a 79.7 quarterback rating in his coverage, but he can’t do it alone.

The Cardinals could be betting on a step forward for Cody Simon, a fourth-round pick last year who played 564 snaps as a rookie.

They also brought in Jack Gibbens in free agency, though he is usually a bigger factor on special teams than defense.

Perhaps Arizona gets what they need out of Simon, Gibbens, or some combination of the two, but it looks like they need to add someone else at linebacker.

Cornerback

1. Will Johnson
2. Garrett Williams
3. Denzel Burke
4. Starling Thomas
5. Sean Murphy-Bunting
6. Max Melton
7. Kei’Trel Clark
8. Jaden Davis
9. Kalen King
10. Elijah Jones

Arizona gave up 7.2 yards per attempt last season (22nd) while finishing 29th in EPA allowed per pass attempt.

The Cardinals appear to have hit on 2025 second-round pick Will Johnson, who had some ups and downs in his 12 rookie games but also had 10 pass breakups in those contests.

Behind Johnson, Arizona has a lot of options, but it is unclear if any of them are starting quality.

Garrett Williams landed on injured reserve early last season because of a knee injury, and he suffered an Achilles tear late in the year, putting his availability for Week 1 in question.

Sean Murphy-Bunting missed all of last season with a knee injury suffered in the offseason, and Starling Thomas joined him on the sidelines because of an ACL tear early in camp.

Those injuries opened the path for 2025 fifth-round pick Denzel Burke, who allowed just 6.9 yards per target across 679 snaps.

Arizona also still has 2024 second-round pick Max Melton on the depth chart, though he has struggled to make an impact through two seasons.

The Cardinals have a young No. 1 option and a lot of bodies behind him.

They could decide to just run things back and see how things go with a (hopefully) healthy unit, but adding more talent at corner never hurts.

Safety

1. Budda Baker
2. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
3. Andrew Wingard
4. Kitan Crawford
5. Joey Blount

Jalen Thompson left in free agency, but Budda Baker is back to once again lead this safety group.

Baker continued to be impactful in the running game last season, finishing fifth among qualified defensive backs in run stuffs (9).

With Thompson gone, Arizona brought in Andrew Wingard in free agency.

Wingard should compete with Dadrion Taylor-Demerson for the starting job opposite Baker.

A fourth-round pick in 2024, Taylor-Demerson only allowed a 58.3 quarterback rating in his coverage last season.

The Cardinals almost certainly want their young in-house talent to win the starting job, but Wingard gives them an experienced second option.

This is not a perfect situation, especially with Baker entering his 30s, but the Cardinals have bigger issues on the roster.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams