BG23'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

BG23'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 1, 2026

BG15

  • BG23 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cardinals
Draft Selections
Francis Mauigoa Head Shot
PICK: 3 RND: 1 (ARI)
Francis Mauigoa
OT Miami
Emmanuel Pregnon Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (ARI)
Emmanuel Pregnon
OG Oregon
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (ARI)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (ARI)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Cole Payton Head Shot
PICK: 143 RND: 5 (ARI)
Cole Payton
QB North Dakota State
Taylen Green Head Shot
PICK: 183 RND: 6 (ARI)
Taylen Green
QB Arkansas
Josh Cameron Head Shot
PICK: 217 RND: 7 (ARI)
Josh Cameron
WR Baylor
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall B
ValueB- NeedA- TradesB- FutureB-
The Cardinals checked most of the boxes and earned a B.

Nobody had Cole Payton this high, and it is not close. The Cardinals reached 55 spots to get him at slot 143.

Cameron falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. Quarterback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick3 Rnd1 Francis Mauigoa
In No. 3 they get a plug-and-play piece up front. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick34 Rnd2 Emmanuel Pregnon
They took Emmanuel Pregnon at par in the 34th pick, which is nothing to complain about. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick65 Rnd3 Jacob Rodriguez
Jacob Rodriguez at pick No. 65 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick104 Rnd4 Connor Lew
A offensive lineman of that caliber at Round 4, Pick 4 is the definition of value, full stop. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick143 Rnd5 Cole Payton
Cole Payton at the Round 5 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick183 Rnd6 Taylen Green
Taylen Green at slot 183 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick217 Rnd7 Josh Cameron
Josh Cameron at the 217th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.