NFL.com’s Charles Davis makes bold Cardinals QB prediction in mock draft

NFL.com’s Charles Davis tossed the proverbial grenade and walked away when it came to the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 3 overall pick in his mock draft published Thursday.

Instead of linking Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. or Francis Mauigoa to Arizona’s first-round pick — some of the prospects being heavily connected to Arizona’s top pick — Davis chose chaos with Alabama’s Ty Simpson heading the Cardinals’ way, albeit with a caveat.

Last year, I opined in one of my early mocks that Jaxson Dart would go to the Giants with the third overall pick, but I didn’t stick with the pairing as the process unfolded. Dart, of course, ultimately ended up with New York after Big Blue traded back into the first round and selected the quarterback at No. 25. This year, I think Simpson ends up with the Cardinals, even if this is not the spot where they pick him.

Simpson marks the third prospect Davis has linked to the Cardinals’ No. 3 pick this offseason. In his first two mock drafts, he had Mauigoa and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, respectively, heading to Arizona.

There is no denying Simpson and the Cardinals have been linked to one another this draft cycle. Just not so much at No. 3.

Instead, the quarterback has been a late first-round target for the franchise. A big piece of those trades includes the No. 34 overall pick the Cardinals have in the second round.

ESPN analyst Field Yates’ latest mock draft has the Cardinals moving Nos. 34 and 65, plus a 2027 third-round pick in exchange for the No. 26 overall pick from the Buffalo Bills.

But will Simpson still be there, especially after all the chatter he’s received this week from ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky and others?

Even before his name was reinjected into national sports shows, Mel Kiper Jr.’s recent mock draft for ESPN had Simpson landing as high as No. 16 to the New York Jets.

As for the prospects that have been heavily linked to the Cardinals’ No. 3 overall pick in Davis’ mock draft?

Reese ended up with the Jets at No. 2. Bailey went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4. Bain fell to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 9, while Mauigoa found a new home with the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13.

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