Cardinals take a large risk of betting on upside over making a safer bet in a new 2026 NFL mock draft
The Cardinals make a bold but risky decision at the top of a new 2026 NFL mock draft.
The Arizona Cardinals made some necessary changes this offseason. The team moved on from Jonathan Gannon and named Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their new head coach, and recently decided it was time to move on from Kyler Murray by releasing the former number one overall pick.
A new era of Cardinals football has arrived, and this offseason is very important as they begin to build the foundation of who they want to be on the field going forward. One of the key parts of that plan is their number three overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, where they could take multiple paths.
A new mock draft from A to Z Sports has the Cardinals upgrading their offensive line, but they don’t take the offensive lineman you may expect.
Cardinals make Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling the top offensive linemen in a new 2026 NFL mock draft
“Our first big surprise of the NFL Draft comes at three overall. Freeling is arguably the best offensive tackle prospect in the class, and he showcases plus movement skills for the position. He tested really well on Sunday and looked like the best athlete in the class. He could create a bookend with Paris Johnson Jr. for a decade. – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Minnesota
In this mock, the Cardinals make a shocking pick by selecting Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. Most seem to believe the first lineman drafted will be one of Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Utah’s Spencer Fano, or Penn State’s Vega Ioane. Instead, the Cardinals chose to bet the third pick in the draft on Freeling.
Freeling has seen his draft stock skyrocket over the past month or so amongst NFL Draft analysts. Two months ago, he wasn’t even a consensus first-round pick; now, the expectations seem to be that he will not only go in the first round but also potentially be the first offensive lineman off the board.
And A to Z Sports’ own Tyler Forness isn’t alone in thinking this could happen, by the way. There was a lot of chatter in Indianapolis during the NFL Scouting Combine that Freeling could be the first lineman off the board come April. Now I’m not sure the Cardinals are the team that should take that risk at three, but the upside is definitely there.
Freeling has had some great flashes in college, but his biggest issue is that he hasn’t been all that consistent just yet. With the right NFL coaching and system, he has the chance to be a future All-Pro tackle, though, and if he reaches those heights, the third overall pick won’t feel rich at all. There will likely be some growing pains, though early in his career, and the Cardinals have to ask themselves if they are in a spot to give him time to reach those potential heights. They certainly shouldn’t be in a hurry to compete with the state of their roster right now.
Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling’s college stats
- 2023: 0 sacks allowed, 0 penalties, 2 QB hits allowed, 137 snaps, 63.0 PFF pass block grade, 69.5 PFF run block grade
- 2024: 0 sacks allowed, 2 penalties, 2 QB hits allowed, 485 snaps, 64.5 pFF pass block grade, 79.6 PFF run block grade
- 2025: 1 sack allowed, 2 penalties, 0 QB hits allowed, 747 snaps, 85.6 PFF pass block grader, 61.3 PFF run block grade
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