Potential Cardinals trade partner for third overall pick emerges ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

McShay on potential Cardinals-Cowboys draft trade:

“Trading out of No. 3 remains one of the priorities, or one of the things that could absolutely happen with Arizona. There’s a lot of buzz about Dallas, and what comes to the noise, with Dallas trading up from 12 to three to get [David] Bailey, right?

“Keep it in state. Texas Tech, pass-rusher. Most importantly, they’ve put all their efforts into rebuilding that defense over the last year.”

Dallas’ general manager Jerry Jones isn’t afraid to make massive trades like a jump up to third overall. The Cowboys are looking for their Micah Parsons replacement and see Bailey as that type of guy. Ironically, Jones could use the package they got for Parsons to trade for the third overall pick. The franchise owns the 12th pick and the 20th pick from the Green Bay Packers and could combine both to climb to third overall.

That is a heavy price to pay for Dallas, but for a organization that always has high expectations, it could be a necessary risk. Arizona’s general manager Monti Ossenfort could look to snag one of the top offensive tackles like Miami’s Francis Maugioa or Utah’s Spencer Fano. The pair were mocked to go to the Cardinals, but it was a little bit of a reach. Trading down could open the door from a reach into a steal for the franchise.

Then, the 20th pick could lead the pairing every expert believe will happen in Alabama’s Ty Simpson to the Valley. The two sides seem like a match made in heaven, and the trade for the third pick could open the door to that reality.