The Arizona Cardinals have spent 2026 doing something that feels almost countercultural in today’s NFL. They went old school. They committed to the run game. They signed Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew to hold down quarterback while they rebuilt the trenches around them. They used a top-three pick on a running back named Jeremiyah Love. They added power blockers. They made a conscious choice to be the team that punches you in the mouth and dares you to do something about it.
But here’s the thing about a rebuild. You can’t fake the quarterback position forever.
A new mock draft simulation from Pro Football Focus suggests the Cardinals are planning their next big swing, and it starts with the most important position in sports. According to the simulation, Arizona would use the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. That is a statement pick. That is the kind of selection that changes how the entire franchise is discussed for the next decade.
Moore is not a mystery at this point. The kid has been on the radar since high school. He sat behind Dillon Gabriel at Oregon, learned how to read defenses at the college level, and then exploded onto the national scene this past season. He threw 30 touchdown passes. He completed over 70 percent of his attempts. He led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinals. His deep ball is genuinely special. But what separates him from other talented quarterbacks is how quickly he processes information. The game slows down for him. That type of processing speed is hard to find and even harder to develop.
The rest of the simulated draft class reinforces what the Cardinals have been trying to build. In the second round, they land Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown, a downhill thumper who piled up 62 tackles and 41 run stops last season. He plays fast. He plays mean. He looks like the kind of linebacker who could anchor a front seven for years.
Then they double down on the offensive line. In the third round, they grab Oregon center Iapani Laloulu, a Rimington Trophy finalist and first-team All-American who made 27 consecutive starts. His pass protection is clean. His anchor is powerful. He is the type of player who makes everyone around him better. In the fourth round, they add South Carolina offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak, who started at both tackle spots in college and has the footwork to develop into a starter.
The secondary finally gets addressed in the fifth round with Oklahoma cornerback Eli Bowen. He is undersized. He is also fast, competitive, and produced a pick-six against Alabama last season. Arizona’s passing defense needs playmakers. Bowen has that potential.
Rounding out the class, the Cardinals add Northwestern receiver Griffin Wilde in the sixth round. He is not a burner. He is a technician who creates separation with sharp route running and reliable hands. In the seventh round, they take a swing on LSU edge rusher Jordan Ross, a former top recruit with explosive first-step quickness and natural bend. He is raw. But late in the draft, raw traits are worth the gamble.
What stands out about this simulated class is the balance. It is not just about drafting a quarterback and pretending everything else will fix itself. Arizona is attacking the offensive line. They are adding speed and physicality to the defense. They are taking measured risks on developmental talent. It all fits together in a way that suggests the front office has a clear vision.
Minshew was always a bridge. Beck is a developmental project. Moore is the guy you build around. If the Cardinals can turn a draft like this into reality, the desert might finally have a sustainable contender on its hands.
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