ESPN’s latest mock throws Ty Simpson curveball with Cardinals trade-up

As the proud holders of the N0. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals are almost certainly going to forgo a quarterback in the first round in order to give new head coach Mike LaFleur a long-term building block for the future.

… or will they.

That’s right, while there likely isn’t a quarterback outside of Fernando Mendoza who will be selected in the Top-5 of this year’s draft, if the Cardinals do dicide they want a young quarterback to build alongside LaFleur, the opton is always on the table for a late first round trade up, with Field Yates suggesting such a move in his latest mock draft for ESPN, as he explained on the First Draft podcast.

“Arizona lands QB Ty Simpson from Alabama,” Yates said. “Compensation for those wondering is the Bills get picks 34, the Cardinals’ third-round pick in 2026, and the Cardinals’ third-round pick in 2027. Basically, the same price the Giants paid to move up from the top of the second last year to where they were with the Houston Texans at the end of the first to get Jaxson Dart.”

So why would Yates consider making such a move if he was in the Cardinals’ front office? Well, because he really likes Simpson as a player and believes he can be a solid quarterback for years to come.

“I like the accuracy and the arm strength when he has a chance to get his base underneath him. He shows the ability to process. He shows an ability to get through multiple reads on a single play. He’s got some second-action abilities. Some ability to do damage with his legs in the open field. He had a 77-yard rushing touchdown in 2024,” Yates said.

“The decision-making sort of fell off a cliff in the second half of the season. Ball security wasn’t as good late in the season for Ty Simpson. The size, again, we talked about it, 6-foot-1, 211 pounds.”

Considered a late first-round pick by both Yates and his First Draft co-host Mel Kiper Jr., landing Simpson at the end of the first round would be a good value deal for the Cardinals, especially if they could secure his services for a deal similar to the one the New York Giants surrendered last year. If Simpson can play like Dart as a rookie, that price will be more than justified.

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