grady.s'S MOCK DRAFT
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grady.s'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAR 24, 2026

draft all treams

  • grady.s DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cardinals
Draft Selections
Francis Mauigoa Head Shot
PICK: 3 RND: 1 (ARI)
Francis Mauigoa
OT Miami
Denzel Boston Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (ARI)
Denzel Boston
WR Washington
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (ARI)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Darrell Jackson Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (ARI)
Darrell Jackson Jr.
DT Florida State
Charles Demmings Head Shot
PICK: 143 RND: 5 (ARI)
Charles Demmings
CB Stephen F. Austin
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 183 RND: 6 (ARI)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Jimmy Rolder Head Shot
PICK: 217 RND: 7 (ARI)
Jimmy Rolder
LB Michigan
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall B
ValueB- NeedA- TradesB- FutureB-
No fireworks, just a tidy B for the Cardinals.

For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Cardinals walked out of the weekend still thin at edge rusher, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons. A dependable weekend that grades out a B.

They banked enough surplus on McNeil-Warren to cover a lot of smaller sins. Every board in the league had Payton lower, and that gap is the story. They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

Add it up and it is a good, unfussy class.

Pick Analysis
Pick3 Rnd1 Francis Mauigoa
In pick No. 3 they get a building block for the line at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick34 Rnd2 Denzel Boston
Denzel Boston in the Round 2 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick65 Rnd3 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Nice patience on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who had no business lasting to pick 65. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick104 Rnd4 Darrell Jackson Jr.
Darrell Jackson Jr. slid further than he should have, and No. 104 is lovely value for the interior defensive lineman. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick143 Rnd5 Charles Demmings
No drama and no debate, Charles Demmings went about where he belonged in Round 5, Pick 3. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick183 Rnd6 Cole Payton
Cole Payton in the 183rd overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick217 Rnd7 Jimmy Rolder
Jimmy Rolder in slot 217 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.