Pro Football Focus’ Jordan Plocher mocked the Arizona Cardinals trading down in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to fill two of their biggest needs on the roster.
Plocher mocks the Cardinals trading the No. 3 pick to the Cowboys for the No. 12 and No. 20 picks. Dallas would use the No. 3 selection on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. The Cardinals would then use the No. 12 and No. 20 picks to select Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor and quarterback Ty Simpson, respectively.
Plocher said Simpson gives the Cardinals a potential quarterback of the future and that with Jacoby Brissett headed into the 2026 season as the likely starter, Simpson will have the opportunity to learn under the veteran to start the year.
It’s unclear at this point if Ty Simpson will hear his name called on Day 1 or Day 2, but in this mock draft, the Cardinals use their second pick of the first round to acquire him as their quarterback of the future — one selection before where he has been heavily mocked, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jacoby Brissett can start for as long as necessary until the Cardinals are ready to transition to the rookie.
Simpson threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions with Alabama last season and was one of the main stars that lead the Crimson Tide to the 2025-26 College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
However, Simpson’s play did drop off in the second half of the season as he threw for no more than 232 yards in Alabama’s final five games with six touchdowns and four interceptions. He struggled throughout the Rose Bowl against Indiana, completing just 12 of 16 passes for 67 yards and exited the game in the third quarter with a rib injury in a 38-3 loss.
Plocher added that while his dip in the second half raises concerns, his good start to last season still makes him a top prospect in the draft.
Simpson’s lack of starts (only 13) and dip in play in the latter half of the 2025 season (53.1 PFF passing grade over last two games) are the big concerns with him as a prospect. He still finished the season with an 81.4 PFF passing grade and showed flashes of high-level play in the earlier part of the schedule (93.8 PFF passing grade against Wisconsin and a 90.8 PFF passing grade against Vanderbilt).
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Simpson as the 25th-best prospect and the second-best quarterback behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who’s the No. 1 draft prospect.
In the Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker, Simpson has been mocked to the Cardinals once with the No. 3 pick.
The Cardinals’ quarterback room beyond 2026 remains one of the biggest, if not the biggest, question marks in Arizona following the release of Kyler Murray. While Brissett is likely the starting quarterback headed into the season with veteran Gardner Minshew and 2025 holdover Kedon Slovis backing him up, all three quarterbacks are free agents after this season.
How would Kadyn Proctor fit on the Cardinals?
Proctor played 40 games across three seasons with the Crimson Tide. During his time at Alabama, Proctor racked up several honors, including the SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2025), All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors (2025), Second-Team All-SEC (2024) and Freshman All-American (2023).
Kiper ranks Proctor as the third-best offensive tackle and 18th-best draft prospect, behind Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, who are listed as the No. 1 and No. 2 tackle prospects, respectively.
Plocher said that the trade still lands the Cardinals with one of the top tackles in the draft, and the 20-year-old’s ability to play at tackle or guard gives him a high ceiling as a draft prospect.
After trading down nine spots and acquiring an extra first-rounder, the Cardinals are still able to land a top offensive lineman. Arizona banks on Proctor’s combination of size (6-foot-6 5/8 and 352 pounds), strength and youth (will be 20 when he’s drafted) as a safe high-floor prospect with a potentially very high ceiling. In 2025, Proctor allowed two sacks, four quarterback hits and 15 hurries on 611 pass-blocking snaps and posted an 84.2 PFF pass-blocking grade. The Cardinals could use help at multiple positions on the offensive line, so if Proctor doesn’t fit at tackle, he can play guard.
Offensive line remains one of the Cardinals’ biggest areas of need despite Arizona signing several linemen in free agency, including Isaac Seumalo, Matt Pryor and Olisaemeka Udoh.
The Cardinals’ offensive line struggled throughout last season and was hit hard by injuries. Arizona saw several players miss numerous games due to injuries, including right tackle Jonah Williams, left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and left guards Evan Brown and Jon Gaines II. Center Hjalte Froholdt and guard Isaiah Adams were the only starting linemen to play in all 17 games.
