Ethan D'S MOCK DRAFT
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2026 Draft

  • Ethan D DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cardinals
Draft Selections
Rodrick Pleasant Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (ARI)
Rodrick Pleasant
CB UCLA
Brandon Inniss Head Shot
PICK: 43 RND: 2 (ARI)
Brandon Inniss
WR Ohio State
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (ARI)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Jehiem Oatis Head Shot
PICK: 109 RND: 4 (ARI)
Jehiem Oatis
DL Colorado
James Smith Head Shot
PICK: 151 RND: 5 (ARI)
James Smith
DL Alabama
John Mateer Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (ARI)
John Mateer
QB Oklahoma
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 228 RND: 7 (ARI)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall D
ValueF NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
A puzzling weekend of work from the Cardinals: D.

There is reaching, and then there is Rodrick Pleasant at the Round 1 slot. The Cardinals jumped the board by 452 and dared it to prove them wrong. The process wobbled, and the D is where it lands.

That Mateer pick is the receipt they will wave around later. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher. They left with quarterback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.

In short, the board sent warnings, and they will be hoping it was wrong.

Pick Analysis
Pick12 Rnd1 Rodrick Pleasant
In pick No. 12 they get a potential shutdown corner, a steep price for the projection. Need was not the driver here.
Pick43 Rnd2 Brandon Inniss
They talked themselves into Brandon Inniss at the Round 2 slot, and the board did not agree. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick74 Rnd3 Max Iheanachor
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Max Iheanachor well ahead of where he belonged. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick109 Rnd4 Jehiem Oatis
A big swing on Jehiem Oatis at Round 4, Pick 9, well ahead of any board in the building. The roster fit checks out.
Pick151 Rnd5 James Smith
James Smith at pick 151 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick194 Rnd6 John Mateer
They will replay John Mateer at the 194th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick228 Rnd7 Eli Stowers
You do not let a tight end like Eli Stowers reach pick No. 228 and blink. They did not. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.