Cardinals trade down, select OT in 1st round of Feldman mock draft
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman predicts the Arizona Cardinals to trade down and stick with offensive tackle in his latest mock draft.
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Since its return on Jan. 4, the Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker has included 200 articles with 14 different outcomes for the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 overall.
46% of the mock drafts predict Arizona using the selection on an offensive tackle such as Miami’s Francis Mauigoa or Utah’s Spencer Fano to help address a serious need at the right tackle spot.
However, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman took things in a different direction in his first-round mock draft published Wednesday.
He has the Dallas Cowboys acquiring the No. 3 pick from the Cardinals in exchange for Nos. 12 and 92 in 2026.
The Cowboys then use the pick on Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, while the Cardinals nab Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling at No. 12 overall.
According to the mock draft tracker, this is the sixth time Arizona’s first round has involved trading down.
Despite dropping nine spots and watching both Mauigoa and Fano go off the board, Feldman argues that Freeling’s physical attributes and strong showing at the NFL Combine make his potential upside too good to pass up.
With Mauigoa and Fano gone, Arizona goes with a tackle whose stock has risen throughout draft season. Freeling, who has almost 35-inch arms and almost 11-inch hands, clocked a 4.93 40 along with a 33 1/2-inch vertical and a 9-7 broad jump at the combine – all really impressive numbers for someone listed at 6-7 and 315 pounds. He did start for only one season at Georgia, at left tackle, but he is an intriguing talent.
Although he only started 18 games in three years at Georgia, Freeling allowed zero quarterback hits and one sack in 13 starts during the 2025 season to earn Second-Team All-SEC honors. He also turned in an 85.6 pass block grade (10th best in the country), according to Pro Football Focus.
The main caveat is that Freeling primarily played left tackle in college; a spot on the Cardinals that has been occupied by Paris Johnson Jr. for the past two seasons. That should only continue.
On the other hand, NFL.com Analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that he “offers coveted length and athleticism at right tackle” in his NFL Draft profile of Freeling.
Where does ASU’s Jordyn Tyson go?
Four picks after the Cardinals’ selection, Feldman predicts Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson landing with the New York Jets at No. 16 overall.
Tyson marks the third wideout taken in the mock draft after Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and USC’s Makai Lemon. Feldman mentions Tyson’s injury history as to why other wide receiver prospects hear their names before him in the first round.
The Jets could also go with Omar Cooper Jr. or Denzel Boston here, but pencil them in for the star who made more than his share of spectacular plays as the Sun Devils went from being a mess to the Playoff in 2024. Tyson won Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after catching 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs, but he did miss the Big 12 title game and the CFP quarterfinals due to a broken collarbone.
Last season, Tyson and Arizona State were derailed by some injuries. He has had an assortment of injuries in his college career, but he is a gifted playmaker. Tyson seems to really have benefited from his time with ASU WR coach Hines Ward, the former Steelers great. There are elements of Ward’s legendary grit and toughness in how Tyson plays. At 6-2, 203 pounds, Tyson has good size and is really strong for a wideout. He did 26 reps on the bench at the combine.
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Comments
11 Comments
Soooooo we trade down and get 12 and 16 but the Jets take Tyson with 16? Do you guys even proof read the stuff you write?
If the Cards get the 12 and 16, how is Tyson drafted by the Jets at 16? And then who is the Cards second 1st round pick?
Professional writing?
No comment about who Feldman drafted at 16 for Cardinals? Assuming Simpson which is only reason most have Cardinal mock trades.
Wolf doesn’t like Freeling, says he’s too much of a technician and not nasty enough in run blocking.
I agree, I’d rather get a more sure thing OT at 3. Although I hear OT from ASU should be available at 16, though maybe too early for him, though he also is rising into 1st rd.