ryknyse'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

ryknyse'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON FEB 16, 2026

Draft Right or Die

  • ryknyse DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cardinals
Draft Selections
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (ARI)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 28 RND: 1 (ARI)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 33 RND: 2 (ARI)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Emmanuel Pregnon Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (ARI)
Emmanuel Pregnon
OG Oregon
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 38 RND: 2 (ARI)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Jadarian Price Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (ARI)
Jadarian Price
RB Notre Dame
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (ARI)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Caden Curry Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (ARI)
Caden Curry
DE Ohio State
Daylen Everette Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (ARI)
Daylen Everette
CB Georgia
Eric Rivers Head Shot
PICK: 141 RND: 5 (ARI)
Eric Rivers
WR Georgia Tech
Taylen Green Head Shot
PICK: 178 RND: 5 (ARI)
Taylen Green
QB Arkansas
Brenen Thompson Head Shot
PICK: 181 RND: 6 (ARI)
Brenen Thompson
WR Mississippi State
Josh Cuevas Head Shot
PICK: 217 RND: 7 (ARI)
Josh Cuevas
TE Alabama
Draft Picks Received
Kayden McDonald Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (DAL)
Kayden McDonald
DT Ohio State
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 28 RND: 1 (HOU)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Olaivavega Ioane Head Shot
PICK: 33 RND: 2 (NYJ)
Olaivavega Ioane
OG Penn State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 38 RND: 2 (HOU)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (HOU)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Daylen Everette Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (DAL)
Daylen Everette
CB Georgia
Taylen Green Head Shot
PICK: 178 RND: 5 (NYJ)
Taylen Green
QB Arkansas
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (DAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (DAL)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (NYJ)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
David Bailey Head Shot
PICK: 3 RND: 1 (DAL)
David Bailey
LB-EDGE Texas Tech
Players traded away
Head Shot
Kyler Murray
QB
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall D
ValueB NeedB TradesF FutureA-
The Cardinals got the worse of every deal, and it shows in the D.

You can lose a draft before you make a pick. The Cardinals did it at the trade table, overpaying to chase players the board did not price nearly as high. Hard to defend, and the D reflects that.

Reaching for Iheanachor left real value on the table behind him. That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.

The verdict is not kind, and fairly so; this class has a hill to climb.

Pick Analysis
Pick20 Rnd1 Kayden McDonald
They took Kayden McDonald at par in Round 1, Pick 20, which is nothing to complain about. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick28 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In No. 28 they get a downhill thumper at linebacker. A real need, handled.
Pick33 Rnd2 Olaivavega Ioane
Olaivavega Ioane is a better player than the 33rd pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick34 Rnd2 Emmanuel Pregnon
Emmanuel Pregnon in slot 34 is fair value, right on his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick38 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Dillon Thieneman in the 38th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick65 Rnd3 Jadarian Price
Jadarian Price in the Round 3 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick69 Rnd3 Max Iheanachor
A premium they did not need to pay, Max Iheanachor a notch or two before his time. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick104 Rnd4 Caden Curry
A straight-up fair deal on Caden Curry at pick No. 104, value and slot in agreement. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick112 Rnd4 Daylen Everette
A quiet steal in the Round 4 slot: Daylen Everette for less than the market said. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick141 Rnd5 Eric Rivers
They let Eric Rivers come to them and pounced at Round 5, Pick 3. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick178 Rnd5 Taylen Green
No drama and no debate, Taylen Green went about where he belonged in the 178th pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick181 Rnd6 Brenen Thompson
Value with a capital V on Brenen Thompson in pick No. 181, a genuine coup. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick217 Rnd7 Josh Cuevas
Josh Cuevas at pick 217 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.