njjj'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

njjj'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON MAY 16, 2026

nhj

  • njjj DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cardinals
Draft Selections
Jeremiah Smith Head Shot
PICK: 3 RND: 1 (ARI)
Jeremiah Smith
WR Ohio State
John Henry Daley Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (ARI)
John Henry Daley
DE Utah
Addison Nichols Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (ARI)
Addison Nichols
OG SMU
Justin Evans-Jenkins Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (ARI)
Justin Evans-Jenkins
C Nebraska
Austin Romaine Head Shot
PICK: 141 RND: 5 (ARI)
Austin Romaine
LB Kansas State
Makhi Hughes Head Shot
PICK: 181 RND: 6 (ARI)
Makhi Hughes
RB Oregon
Kayin Lee Head Shot
PICK: 217 RND: 7 (ARI)
Kayin Lee
CB Auburn
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall B
ValueB NeedA- TradesB- FutureB-
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Cardinals: B.

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

If one pick saves this weekend, it is Nichols. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.

Pick Analysis
Pick3 Rnd1 Jeremiah Smith
They paid sticker price for Jeremiah Smith in the Round 1 slot, and that is fine. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick34 Rnd2 John Henry Daley
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 34 with a little surplus value in John Henry Daley. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick65 Rnd3 Addison Nichols
Addison Nichols at No. 65 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick104 Rnd4 Justin Evans-Jenkins
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Justin Evans-Jenkins in pick 104. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick141 Rnd5 Austin Romaine
Austin Romaine at the 141st overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick181 Rnd6 Makhi Hughes
No drama and no debate, Makhi Hughes went about where he belonged in Round 6, Pick 2. It fills a real need, too.
Pick217 Rnd7 Kayin Lee
A straight-up fair deal on Kayin Lee at the 217th pick, value and slot in agreement. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.