2026 NFL draft order: Arizona Cardinals finish with 3rd overall pick
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The Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season is over, finishing 3-14. They were one of the worst teams in the NFL. If there is one small positive, they will have a very high pick in the 2-26 NFL draft.
They even had some help. Over the last several weeks of the season, they found themselves tied with multiple teams with the same record but landing behind them all because of a strong strength of schedule.
Entering the final game of the season in the fifth spot, the New York Giants won their season finale to get to four wins, and the Tennessee Titans, despite a loss in Week 18, saw their strength of schedule sneak ahead of the Cardinals'.
So where do the Cardinals pick in the 2026 NFL draft?
Cardinals finish year with top-3 pick
Because the Las Vegas Raiders won their final game of the season, four teams ended up 3-14. In the draft, the tiebreaker that matters is strength of schedule. The Cardinals had the third-best strength of schedule of the four teams, so they finished with the third overall pick.
The Cardinals can do a lot with that pick. However, considering they need a quarterback, the downside is that they have the third pick in what many believe is a two-quarterback draft. Early on, most believe that Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore are the two top quarterbacks and worth the first two picks, but that no other QB would be worth the third pick.
There is plenty of time to discuss that, though.
Final 2026 NFL draft order
With the regular season complete, the first 18 picks of the draft are set. From 19-32, the order will be determined by a combination of final record and when they are eliminated from the postseason.
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
- Washington Commanders
- New Orleans Saints
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- Atlanta Falcons (traded to LA Rams)
- Baltimore Ravens
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Indianapolis Colts (traded to Jets)
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: 2026 NFL draft order: Arizona Cardinals finish with 3rd overall pick
