Biggest Winners, Losers Following Cardinals' 2026 NFL Draft

Who had a better weekend than Mike LaFleur?

The new Cardinals coach and play-caller got a new weapon in running back Jeremiyah Love with a new starting right guard in Chase Bisontis as well. That's on top of weapons already in place in Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Trey McBride, Tyler Allgeier and James Conner among others.

For a first-time coach who is also juggling play-calling duties, Arizona's offense got a big boost at the line of scrimmage while adding another playmaker to the mix. That's big, and now LaFleur will have ample weapons to mold his attack around entering 2026.

"When you bring in explosive playmakers at any position, you're giving yourself a better chance to have those explosives," LaFleur said after adding Love.

"I don't have to call the greatest plays sometimes when you just get the ball to a guy like (TE) Trey McBride, he breaks three tackles and he turns it into an explosive. Same thing with our receivers, so anytime you can get that from the backs, it's just that next position that allows you to get those explosives."

It's hard to be upset with the talent on Arizona's offense. Now, LaFleur's got to put them in a position to succeed.

Elijah Wilkinson

Wilkinson was signed in free agency among other tackles with starting experience, though many believed those were simply depth pieces to compete for rotational roster spots.

Arizona didn't address their need for a starting right tackle in the draft, and as of now, Wilkinson is a major winner.

Wilkinson is the leader in the clubhouse to start at right tackle thanks to his recent experience doing so in Atlanta last season. While Matt Pryor and Oli Udoh were also brought in this offseason, his resume boasts the best.

“Elijah started 16 games or something last year for Atlanta, so yeah, I think he'll certainly be in the mix. (We’re) not really naming starters anywhere right now, but I think Elijah will definitely have a chance there," Ossenfort said of Wilkinson after the draft.

"Elijah is another guy who's played a lot of ball, and he's played at different positions. The first go around with us, he was inside at guard. He's also played a lot of tackle in his career, so I like the versatility that he has, but yeah, he'll definitely be in the mix at right tackle.”

Outside Linebackers Not Named Josh Sweat

The need for a prominent edge rusher opposite of Josh Sweat was steady through the offseason, and for good reason. Sweat's 12 sacks led the team, and the three rushers on the other side of Arizona's defense (Zaven Collins, Jordan Burch and Baron Browning) combined for just 4.5 sacks.

"I think we have a group that it's a good mix of guys that are experienced and have played a lot. We have to find a way to put them in the best position," Ossenfort said. "Obviously (we are) always going to look to add and increase and raise the talent level, but it just didn't work out that way to add to that group over the last three days.”

So when the Cardinals opted not to address the position in free agency, plenty thought the draft was prime opportunity for Arizona to land a top name.

That didn't happen, and now all three of Burch/Collins/Browning appear to be in line for similar opportunities they had last season. That's a win for all three.

Losers

Trey Benson

Arguably the biggest loser from this weekend, and maybe entire offseason, is Benson.

Benson was largely hit-and-miss during his first two years in the league thanks to a mix of the injuries and inconsistent play. When Arizona chose to restructure James Conner instead of cutting him before signing Tyler Allgeier to a multi-year deal in free agency, many thought that was the end of Benson.

Yet the drafting of Love with the third overall pick may have been the final nail in the coffin for Benson, who is now effectively RB4 on the depth chart. Benson's spot on the roster is very much in jeopardy entering 2026's training camp.

At this point, it wouldn't be surprising if the Cardinals tried to find a trade partner for the former Day 2 pick.

Isaiah Adams

The Cardinals were heavily expected to address their right tackle spot, which didn't ultimately happen. In turn, however, the interior was upgraded in the second round with Bisontis. With Isaac Seumalo arriving via free agency to start on the left, Bisontis has a clear pathway to start on the right.

That's not quite great news for Adams, who was hot-and-cold during his short stint as a starter in 2024-25. Had the offseason gone as expected, Adams was the frontrunner to again start on the right side for 2026.

Yet that was rapidly flipped on its head after the Bisontis pick. Now, Adams finds a new competitor in the room that's likely to eventually earn the job he was hoping to secure.