Alabama's Ty Simpson (15) a touchdown pass during the College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday Dec. 19, 2025. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cardinals Trade Twice in First Round NFL Mock Draft

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals have several different directions they can go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The third overall pick has potential to be used at a number of different positions, as even different prospects at those positions will be debated until general manager Monti Ossenfort is on the clock.

Arizona's pick feels volatile — if you ask ten different people what they should do, it feels like you'll get ten different answers. And while there's no such thing as a perfect pick, the Cardinals could get close with two different trades near the start and finish of the first round.

Simulating the first round in a mock draft, we were able to do just that:

Pick 11: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

The Cardinals traded down with the Miami Dolphins from pick No. 3 for No. 11, 30 and a third-round pick.

There was plenty of talent available for Arizona here, allowing the Cardinals to move down and still get a high quality starter in Spencer Fano.

Many in the draft community believe the gap between Fano and Francis Mauigoa is small, and if Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur will be running anything close to a Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay offense, he'll need an athletic tackle capable of making zone schemes work.

They'll get that in Fano for pennies on the dollar of where they initially could have drafted him.

Pick 24: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

Arizona utilized their 30th selection acquired via trade from Miami and their original third-round pick (with Miami's in their back pocket) to move up to pick No. 24 with the Cleveland Browns to select Ty Simpson.

The Kyler Murray era is gone, and after swinging and missing on multiple passers in free agency, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort pulls the trigger and is willing to bet on the second-best quarterback in this class in Simpson.

The arm talent, mobility and processing is there from the Alabama quarterback. However, there are legitimate size concerns when it comes to his 6-1 frame. His minimal passing experience of 15 games also brings on plenty of questions.

While it might seem wild on the surface, the Cardinals making multiple trades in the first round isn't far fetched when you consider their general manager and where they're currently at as an organization.

While 2026 may not be playoffs or bust, the Cardinals clearly need to turn things around.

This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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