The Arizona Cardinals have opened up numerous possibilities for how they approach the NFL draft because of how they attacked free agency.
Defensive line and pass-rush help were the biggest needs for Arizona entering the offseason, and both have been addressed in the forms of Dalvin Tomlinson and Josh Sweat, along with the hope for better injury luck with players like Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols and BJ Ojulari.
With that in mind, Arizona can lean more toward “best player available” with its first-round pick if it so chooses.
Or, in the case of Chad Reuter’s latest four-round mock draft on NFL.com, the Cardinals also have the freedom to move up for a player even better than what they could get at No. 16.
Here, the Cardinals trade up to No. 13 with the Miami Dolphins — swapping their third-round pick (No. 78) with Miami’s fourth-round pick (No. 135) to jump three spots in the first round — to take offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. out of Texas. It’s the sixth time he and Arizona have been paired, according to our mock draft tracker, which is the most among players away from the defensive front.
Reuter writes:
Arizona traded up for a versatile lineman in Paris Johnson Jr. two years ago, and Banks could play inside or outside as a rookie. (He could also move to tackle in 2026 if Jonah Williams departs as a free agent.)
The Dolphins would take a teammate of Banks in this hypothetical, cornerback Jahdae Barron, who won the Thorpe Award for the nation’s best defensive back and has been paired with Arizona twice himself.
Who are the Cardinals’ later picks in this mock draft?
Arizona would pay off the trade late in the fourth round by selecting Utah defensive tackle Junior Tafuna, who had 7.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss and two interceptions over four seasons. He would add to the depth the defense has begun accumulating up front.
Earlier in the fourth, the Cardinals would select Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant with their own pick (No. 115). He has been a ballhawk for the Jayhawks, intercepting 13 passes over his four seasons and housing two of them. He added 22 passes defensed, 11 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
With their second-round pick at No. 47, Reuter has the Cardinals adding speed to Kyler Murray’s arsenal of weapons in the form of Iowa State receiver Jaylin Noel. While he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds, he stood out with a 91 athleticism score at the combine (ranking third among receivers), highlighted by a 4.39 40-yard dash.
The Dolphins would pay off their end of the bargain for its side by adding Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo (No. 78).
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off with the first round on April 24, second and third rounds on April 25 and final four rounds on April 26.