Cardinals Trade Up in Seven-Round Mock Draft

What would Mock Draft Monday for the Arizona Cardinals look like if they were aggressive and traded up throughout the 2025 NFL Draft?

The trades were helped made by Pro Football Focus’s mock draft simulator. Some trades are easier to make than others and some are insanely one-sided, so I did my best to keep them a bit more realistic rather than robbing a franchise blind (as fun as that would be).

Let’s get started with a BANG as the Cardinals move from the 16th pick and inside the top-10.

TRADE:
Arizona Cardinals swap with Carolina Panthers
AZ receives picks 8 and 146
CAR receives pick 16, 115, and a 2026 second-round pick

8. Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall

Starting off strong, the Cardinals rocket into the top-10 picks to ensure they get their pass rush settled. Newly signed pass rusher Josh Sweat needs a running mate opposite him and Green is just the guy to do it. The nation’s leading sack master last season has seen his stock fluctuate throughout the draft process, but I think he’s a lock for the top-20 at worst with my bet being much higher.

The Cardinals will make sure they get their bookend pass rushers for the next several years, with Green ready to stuff the box score with sacks and develop the rest of his game over time.

As compensation for the move, the Cardinals swap their fourth-round pick with the Panthers for their fifth (31 spot difference) and send a 2026 second-round draft choice to sweeten the deal.

TRADE

Arizona Cardinals swap with Green Bay Packers
AZ receives pick 23
GB receives pick 47, 78, 225, and a 2026 fourth-round pick

23. Derrick Harmon, IDL, Oregon

The Cardinals aren’t satisfied with one first-round pick and go back to the well and get another long-term solution for their defensive line. Dalvin Tomlinson was brought in to be short-term solution for the position, but they need to secure their future and certainly add more viable depth than what is currently present on this roster.

Harmon can become an every down starter quickly in his career and provide Arizona with a much-needed physical presence inside.

The Packers move down 24 spots into the second-round but manage to get the Cardinals' third-round pick (78), their seventh-round pick (225), and a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

146. Nohl Williams, CB, Cal

It’s a long wait for the Cardinals, who watch 123 draft picks pass before they pick again. Rather than try and trade up again and mortgage even more of their 2026 capital, the Cardinals hang tight for their final two picks.

Williams is their first pick. The long cornerback can become a starter with patience and development. He’ll fit well in a room that has tons of youth and potential. It will allow Williams to compete for immediate playing time or sit and learn.

152. Kobe Hudson, WR, UCF

And the Cardinals close their 2025 NFL Draft class with Hudson – just their fourth pick in this class. Hudson was a quiet producer for the Knights and had quality production both at UCF and Auburn prior to his transfer to Orlando. He’s not an elite receiver in one specific area, but he can provide depth to a wide receiver core that needs bodies more than anything else as things stand.

Four picks isn’t a ton of fun for fans, but the Cardinals could’ve found four players who can impact the team in year one. Green and Harmon could both be day one starters, and Williams could fight his way onto the field, too. Hudson will have every chance to standout in a depleted wide receiver room.