NFL mock draft: Mel Kiper has Arizona Cardinals taking pass rusher

[ASFN Admin]

With the first week of free agency complete and teams having done most of the work they will do to fill needs on their team via veteran players, it shapes how they might address things in the 2026 NFL draft. With free agent moves in the books, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has a new post-free agency mock draft of the first round.

The Arizona Cardinals have left three main positions that should be addressed — quarterback, tackle and the defensive edge.

Who is Kiper's pick for the Cardinals with several weeks left before the draft?

Round 1, pick No. 3: Ohio State EDGE Arvell Reese​

The Cardinals weren't much better than the Jets in the sack department, tying for 28th with 30. Josh Sweat needs a running mate, and Reese has the instincts and burst to get home on the QB. Of course, Reese also played off-ball linebacker at Ohio State, and though he said during the combine that he would be an NFL edge rusher, that sort of versatility is a big plus. He had 6.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss last season.

Most mock drafts have the Cardinals going with a tackle like Miami's Francis Mauigoa. However, the edge is just as critical, and Reese has big upside.

He also fits the profile for the Cardinals. Since Monti Ossenfort became general manager, he has only selected players from the SEC and Big Ten in the first two rounds of the draft.

If Reese goes second overall, David Bailey out of Texas Tech makes sense, too.

A quarterback at No. 3 doesn't make sense. It only makes sense to go with a pass rusher or a tackle. We will see both types of mocks for weeks.

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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL mock draft: Mel Kiper has Arizona Cardinals taking pass rusher

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[mel typer]

Cards have been stung in the past by players like this. Personally I feel AR isn't the best player available here.