B
Arizona Cardinals
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Cardinals a B.
by Stan93 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 5 steals
· 6 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Drew Allar, 86 picks early at the 71st overall pick. The bottom line is a respectable B.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. On value alone, Brazzell II makes the weekend a net positive. The Cardinals clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 12 they get a workhorse for the backfield, outstanding value to boot. A real need, handled.
In the 22nd overall pick they get a sideline-to-sideline linebacker at fair value.
Max Iheanachor at pick No. 33 is a conviction pick that outran the value. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They let Olaivavega Ioane come to them and pounced at the Round 2 slot. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They paid sticker price for Akheem Mesidor in slot 37, and that is fine. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Good price on Dillon Thieneman in Round 2, Pick 7, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Derrick Moore at No. 42 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Caleb Banks in the 43rd overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
Chris Brazzell II slid further than he should have, and slot 45 is lovely value for the wide receiver. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Brandon Cisse at the 46th pick. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
No drama and no debate, Eli Stowers went about where he belonged in Round 2, Pick 15. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They jumped the gun on Malachi Fields, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
By-the-book stuff, Jacob Rodriguez at pick 66 squarely in line with his ranking. The roster fit checks out.
They liked Elijah Sarratt enough to skip the value, taking him in the Round 3 slot. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Christen Miller in the Round 3 slot. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Dontay Corleone at the 69th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Ted Hurst this early at Round 3, Pick 6. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They talked themselves into Drew Allar at pick 71, and the board did not agree. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.