Way-too-early 2026 mock draft has Arizona Cardinals with top-10 pick
Way-too-early 2026 mock draft has Arizona Cardinals with top-10 pick It is way too early to think about the 2026 draft, but this mock draft has the Cardinals picking in the top 10
The 2025 NFL draft was just completed Saturday and the Arizona Cardinals came away with seven players, six on defense. We are barely sleeping off the haze of the draft that was just completed, but there is already a 2026 mock draft.
Draft Wire's Curt Popejoy mocked the first round of the 2026 draft, giving us way-too-early projections.
In his projections, the Cardinals, who have the sixth overall pick, go with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
One thing stands out immediately — that the Cardinals have the sixth pick in the draft.
After an eight-win season in 2024 in which they were 6-4 at the bye week and in the NFC West lead, they are expected to be contenders in the division and hopefully make the postseason.
To be in a position to have the sixth pick in the draft next year would be an epic failure.
As for taking a safety with the sixth overall pick, that also doesn't track, considering the philosophy of general manager Monti Ossenfort. Safety is an important but not premium position. In three drafts, Ossenfort has selected two safeties, both on Day 3.
Downs is a promising player. He played in 2023 as a freshman for Alabama and led the SEC with 70 solo tackles and 107 total tackles, picking off two passes.
For Ohio State last season, he was an All-American and had 82 total tackles, eight for loss, a half sack, two interceptions and six pass breakups.
The Cardinals could need a new safety, as Jalen Thompson enters the final year of his contract, but they do have 2023 fourth-round pick Rabbit Taylor-Demerson potentially in line to replace him.
That said, 2026 mock drafts are more about two things — where teams might be picking and who will be the top prospects in next year's draft.
Downs will certainly be a player to watch, but hopefully the Cardinals are picking somewhere in the 20s or later in next year's draft.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The San Francisco 49ers had their sights set on Robert Saleh arguably more than any player available through the draft or free agency though it remains perfectly clear that he is the right fit to lead Fred Warner and this promising defensive core.
The San Francisco 49ers had their sights set on Robert Saleh arguably more than any player available through the draft or free agency though it remains perfectly clear that he is the right fit to lead Fred Warner and this promising defensive core. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2024 San Francisco 49ers were a shell of the team that had become a staple among the NFC's elite and the NFL altogether. Coming off Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game appearances in the years prior, the Niners took a significant dip in 2025. Advertisement San Francisco missed the playoffs and plummeted to the bottom of the NFC West standings. Their 6-11 record left them in last place. Several factors played into their downfall with injuries having a significant responsibility there. But there were some things within their control that they simply missed the mark on. Namely, the Niners regressed as a defensive unit. San Francisco ended the season as a bottom six group in points per game at 25.6. However, they have made the steps necessary to engineer some changes. They notably fired Nick Sorensen and have reunited with Robert Saleh as the defenisve coordinator. At the time, the Niners did not really look deeply into another candidate, banking on his return. The gamble paid off and he is back in the Bay Area. Advertisement Despite his return, the Niners have sustained some major losses on this side through free agency when several spots previously occupied were brought open. Nonetheless, veteran linebacker Fred Warner had one word to describe Saleh's presence back on the coaching staff: "crucial." This echoes the feeling that Warner held earlier in the year immediately following the re-hire of Saleh. 'Just get back to being dominant,' Warner said. 'That's just what I'm used to. And it's going to take a lot of work, a lot of hard effort, but I know we're capable of doing it.' That work is now underway with the calendar in June and OTAs underway. While there are some new faces in the locker room for this defense, they are the selection of Saleh who will now imprint his style and identity across this formation. Advertisement If the results bear fruit to his first stint with the team that ended after the 2020 season Saleh and Warner will both be back playing meaningful games in the winter months. Related: 49ers No. 1 Offseason Storyline Could Be Bad News Related: 49ers Save $5.6 Million with 2 Post-June Cuts This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
49ers No. 1 Offseason Storyline Could Be Bad News
49ers No. 1 Offseason Storyline Could Be Bad News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The No. 1 offseason storyline for the San Francisco 49ers this year could be devastating for a team that needs a rebound year in 2025. Advertisement San Francisco posted just six wins and a 6-11 season last year, and missed out on the playoffs entirely while finishing last place in the NFC West. Hopes of a resurgent 2025 are strong with the newly signed Brock Purdy and a hopefully healthy Christian McCaffrey. But so far through the offseason, reports are that McCaffrey doesn't look right. Grant Cohn of SI thinks this all started after McCaffrey's fumble in the Super Bowl. "McCaffrey fumbled in the red zone during the opening drive of the game. He went on to average just 3.6 yards per carry against the Chiefs," Cohn wrote. "Then last season, when he finally returned from bilateral Achilles tendonitis, he averaged a mere 4.0 yards per carry and never ran faster than 17.4 miles per hour. Then, he tore his PCL after just four games. This past week at OTAs, McCaffrey still didn't seem that have the fifth gear that made him so special when he was younger. Advertisement "He used to reach his top speed effortlessly -- now, he has to strain and drive his knees harder." Garrett Podell of CBS Sports noticed the same thing. "In 2023, three-time Pro Bowl running back McCaffrey was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, and the 49ers reached overtime of the Super Bowl before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs," writes Podell. "In 2024, McCaffrey played four games while dealing with bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a PCL injury in his knee, and the 49ers went 6-11. Those 11 losses were tied for second by a team in the season after a Super Bowl loss ever. "How much the soon-to-be 29-year-old running back participates in mandatory minicamp and how he looks will be something to watch because San Francisco's 2025 hopes may rest on his banged-up body." Advertisement It could be really bad news for the team and its fans, unless McCaffrey is just taking it easy this offseason in anticipation of giving it a full go in 2025. Let's let this thing play out a little before we jump to any conclusions. Related: 49ers Save $5.6 Million with 2 Post-June Cuts Related: 49ers First-Round Pick Labeled Obvious 'Rookie to Watch' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Trent Williams was present at OTAs Tuesday.
San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Trent Williams was present at OTAs Tuesday. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The early stages of many organized team activities (OTAs) is dedicated to getting back into the groove of workouts, learn any new offensive or defensive packages, and re-unite the team camaraderie for an official start to the prep for next season. Advertisement This period is far more important for rookies and younger players than older ones, so it isn't completely out of the ordinary for veterans to skip. That was the case for left tackle Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers over the last couple of weeks. Is it worrisome? Not too much. Williams is under contract (and handsomely paid), is healthy, and returns as a five-year veteran with the club under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Would it have been nice for Williams to show up earlier? Of course, but these sessions aren't mandatory ... and I don't think you'll find teammates walking up to Trent Williams and demanding he come to practice. Advertisement Tuesday - the second-to-last day of Phase 1 in the Niners program - Williams came to work to quiet any and all concerns. Reports say Williams was in the building and healthy for practice. So, all is well. "AMEN" one fan wrote on social media about the news. "This is great to hear," said another. "Love it. All Pro, Pro Bowl and SB Champion incoming," an optimistic fan added. Shanahan had expressed that he expected to see Williams "soon", and the assumption was he would present starting at the mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 10-11. The 49ers will host one more day of OTA practice on June 5 before taking the weekend off ahead of minicamp next week. Advertisement Williams, 36, signed what could be his last NFL contract just before the kickoff of last season in a three-year $82.66 million deal. That deal wasn't before Williams exercised a holdout from the Niners, but those were not the bulk of the concerns this offseason with him under contract. He enters 2025 - his 15th season in the league - with a bit more to prove than he's had in the past. Last season he missed seven games and saw an interruption to his streak of three consecutive First Team All-Pro honors. Related: 49ers' Warner Makes Feelings On Coach Perfectly Clear With 'Dominant' Comment Related: 49ers Newcomer Impresses with After-Practice Work This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
