Should Cardinals commit to tank to secure top five pick in 2026 draft?

Cardinals with top five toughest remaining strength of schedule:

ESPN published a projection for the which teams will get a top pick in next year’s draft, placing Arizona seventh overall. The franchise has a 21.6% chance to get a top-five pick, while a whopping 64.5% to get a top-10 pick. The holes amongst the roster are apparent, with the anemic offensive attack through the first five weeks of the season causing an uproar.

General manager Monti Ossenfort has spent top 10 picks on offensive players in recent years, with Paris Johnson Jr. in 2023 and Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024. He appears to favor skill positions or offensive prospects when in that positions, and with the team’s current struggles, Ossenfort could look to add another weapon to starting quarterback Kyler Murray.

Murray’s expensive contract ties him to the Valley at minimum for another year, as unlikely scenario of trading him or cutting him would give the franchise an obscene amount of dead money.

Arizona could look to add weapons like Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson or Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate if it lands in the top 10. The team’s defensive success this season, while being young in multiple positions, buys the Cardinals time to not needing to upgrade with their top pick.

Despite all the planning, head coach Jonathan Gannon in his postgame pressers doesn’t seem interested in tanking or losing obviously. Gannon could be playing for his job if the team continues to faulter. However, owner Michael Bidwill’s history is quite patience with coaches, most notably with old head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who lasted four seasons.

The more likely outcome of this season’s embarrassing season is a coordinator being fired, with the likely candidate being offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. If the firings begin, that’ll be the turning point in the Cardinals season whether they’ll fully commit to securing a top pick in 2026.