ESPN ranks Cardinals dead last in NFL Future Power Rankings

National expectations for the future of the Arizona Cardinals have hit rock bottom.

In ESPN’s annual Future Power Rankings published on Monday, the Cardinals ranked 32nd out of 32 NFL teams when projecting long-term success from the 2027 through 2029 seasons.

The panel of analysts, Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak and Seth Walder, evaluated each franchise across four weighted categories: quarterback (20%), non-QB roster makeup (30%), front office (25%) and coaching staff (25%).

Despite the last-place projection, ESPN’s analysts pointed to a promising core of skill-position playmakers that could ease the transition for the franchise’s next signal caller.

Solak highlighted Arizona’s growing group of young, talent-rich offensive weapons, anchored by tight end Trey McBride, running back Jeremiyah Love, and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. But even with some offensive excitement, the Cardinals scored 71.75 points and ranked 27th overall.

“It’s hard to be optimistic in the NFC West, where three of the league’s best teams play at a different level than these Cardinals currently do,” Solak wrote. “Still, Arizona is quite close to a strong offensive core of playmakers … and that is good bedrock for an incoming 2027 quarterback.”

The biggest uncertainty hovering over the franchise remains the quarterback spot under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Arizona was given a score of 70.5 when evaluating its head coach, ranking 30th in the league.

Riddick questioned how LaFleur will resolve the position long term, though rookie Carson Beck, a 2026 third-round draft choice, showed promising signs in the opening preseason game before being ruled out of the second with a rib injury. Arizona scored 63 points at the quarterback position in the exercise and ranked 30th in the league.

“Carson Beck showed some exciting flashes in the preseason opener, and it’s too early to disregard him as a long-term solution,” Riddick noted. “The Cardinals have some fantastic skill position players for a QB to work with, and they cannot afford to waste them.”

Cardinals tight ends saw a heavy workload last season, leading the NFL by taking 35% of the team’s total target share, according to Schatz. Conversely, Arizona ran the ball at a league-low 27% rate when lined up in 12 personnel (two tight ends).

While the immediate outlook paints a tough picture in a grueling division, Walder offered a bold prediction for Arizona heading into the 2027-29 window: He believes no team in the NFL will add more wins to its record from 2026 to 2027 than the Cardinals.

A primary driver for that potential turnaround is financial flexibility. Arizona is expected to hold more salary cap space in 2027 than any other team in the league, OverTheCap.com projects. The Cardinals’ front office was given a score of 72.75, ranking 28th in the exercise.

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