2026 NFL Draft | Louisville Preview

Mock draft and big board season is now behind us, and the 2026 NFL Draft is finally here. Starting tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST, we will find out where the top talents in college football will be heading to start their professional careers.

There is no shortage of Cardinals that are in this year's draft class. 22 players from the Louisville football program have either graduated or declared early in hopes of hearing their name called on draft night.

Of those nearly two dozen Cards, three of them have separated themselves from the rest. Wide receivers Chris Bell, slot receiver/return man Caullin Lacy and defensive tackle Rene Konga are the ones who are the most likely to get selected by the time the three-day draft comes to a close.

Without question, Bell is the overwhelming favorite to be the first Card to come off the board. Had it not been for his ACL injury, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound wideout could have worked himself into consideration for a first round pick. Some scouts and executives are concerned about this injury, as well as his route running capabilities, but are in love with his frame/physical skill set and his actual pass catching ability. Bell has been trending primarily in the early-to-mid second round, but could also fall to late second or early third round.

After Bell, the next Louisville player to be selected is most likely going to be Konga, with mock drafts tabbing him anywhere from the fourth round to the seventh. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle put up some absolutely insane testing numbers at Louisville's Pro Day, and advanced stats have showcased that he was one of the most underrated interior linemen in college football. There are some fundamentals with Konga's game that scouts don't love, but he's got the athletic upside that will almost guarantee that he will be drafted.

As for Lacy, it's not a complete guarantee that he will be among the 257 players to hear their name called by commissioner Roger Goodell. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver is a little undersized for the NFL game, and isn't a great downfield route runner. That being said, his shifty nature and great upfield vision made him a run-after-catch asset and punt/kick returner, so a team could take a flyer on him in the sixth or seventh round.

Outside of those three, there have been a couple other Cardinals that have been generating some pre-draft buzz. Linebacker T.J. Quinn had a top-30 visit with the Green Bay Packers, while quarterback Miller Moss has had Zoom meetings with the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.

Even if Moss or Quinn are not drafted, they're expected to be among the more sought after priority free agents. They will have the opportunity to sign with any team they choose as an undrafted free agent, or UDFA, following the end of the draft if they go unselected.

Other former Cardinals hoping to be drafted or sign as a UDFA are: wide receiver Dacari Collins, offensive linemen Rasheed Miller, Mahamane Moussa, Pete Nygra, Makylan Pounders and Trevonte Sylvester, defensive end Wesley Bailey, defensive tackles Jayshaun Coffman, Jordan Guerad and Denzel Lowry, linebacker Kaleb Perry, cornerbacks Rodney Johnson and Jabari Mack, safeties JoJo Evans and D'Angelo Hutchinson, placekicker David Chapeau and long snapper Shai Kochav.

The 2026 NFL Draft will begin with round one on Thursday, Apr. 23 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Rounds 2-3 will start on Friday, Apr. 24 at 7:00 p.m. EST, and rounds 4-7 on Saturday, Apr. 25 starting at 12:00 p.m. EST. The entire draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.

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