GLENDALE – The 2026 NFL Draft will surely bring a lot of surprises and predictions, although could the Arizona Cardinals get the party started with a possible trade?
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Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) looks to pass downfield against Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, during the Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. © Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets widely expected to address their QB problems, Indiana University’s Fernando Mendoza and the University of Oregon’s Dante Moore will most likely be the players drafted. That leaves the Arizona Cardinals possibly staring at a clean board and a choice that challenges conventional thinking. Could Arizona possibly be a trade partner with the Raiders and Jets for a young QB, and trade Kyler Murray? Or is the chance of a trade down to help build the roster on the table?
The second day of the NFL Draft presented by Bud Light at the Draft Theater Friday, April 25, 2025, outside of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Credit: Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
It is unlikely that the Raiders or Jets will be willing to find a trade partner, as their biggest need could easily be filled, and the future gets a little brighter for both franchises with a new face of the team. If Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort decides to stick with Murray for the future of this Cardinals offense, one of the biggest needs that would help make this offense go would be building up their offensive line.
Oct 18, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; Utah Utes offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55) waits for the play against the BYU Cougars during the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Although there is a route where the Arizona Cardinals could end up with some elite talent, and get other assets to help address other needs. A scenario where the Cardinals trade down and still end up with a top OT in the game, such as the University of Utah’s Spencer Fano, is a definite possibility. Locally, this would signal Arizona’s commitment to building an offense defenses dread, not just respect. Nationally, it would challenge the league’s obsession with drafting for need rather than leverage. Building up the trenches makes reading plays simpler, confidence steadier, and growth faster, all things that the Cardinals need heading into the 2026 NFL season.
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
