Cardinals 2026 NFL Draft takeaways: Jeremiyah Love has star power, but QB1 still a mystery

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Most importantly, he provides excitement. Something this organization desperately needed. There are still unknowns. The quarterback situation isn’t ideal. And the offensive line remains a work in progress. But first-year head coach Mike LaFleur should have intriguing offensive options. Along with Love, the Cardinals have perhaps the game’s top tight end in Trey McBride, as well as promising receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson. It’s not a bad place to start. With their other six selections, Arizona drafted Texas A&M lineman Chase Bisontis, Miami quarterback Carson Beck, Southeast Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor, Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil, Iowa linebacker Karson Sharar and Ole Miss offensive lineman Jayden Williams. At minimum, Love and Bisontis should help right away. “I would say 31 other teams are probably looking at their team right now and saying that they’ve gotten better and have improved, but in all reality, none of us know,” general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters. “None of us know until we get out on the field in September. How we mesh, how we perform, if we stay healthy. All those things. I think everybody can say the same, but until you’re out there competing and when things mean something, you don’t really know.” Coming off a three-win season, one of the worst in franchise history, the Cardinals need to stack strong draft classes to compete in the rugged NFC West. A draft’s overall value won’t be known until years later, but there’s still important things to learn. Let’s take a look at how this one shapes up. Kaleb Proctor. A three-year starter, the Southeast Louisiana defensive tackle had a chance to jump to the FBS level for more lucrative NIL offers but he chose to stay. As a senior last season, Proctor became the first player in school history to be named the Southland Conference Player of the Year. The Cardinals liked what they saw on tape and throughout the draft process. “The good thing is he played against LSU this year,” assistant GM Dave Sears said. “Obviously, that’s the tape that everybody’s going to go to. But he did play against other schools in the past, FBS schools. Then you have an (East-West Shrine Bowl) so you get to watch him in multiple practices against bigger school comp. It’s a case where the kid succeeded in each one of those opportunities.” Proctor played linebacker in high school and shifted to the defensive line in college. At 6-2, 290 pounds, he’s undersized for his position, but Sears noted how Proctor put on weight throughout the draft process, which is a good sign. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Proctor as the 14th defensive tackle and wrote that his intangibles are qualities NFL teams should want in their organization. He was worth taking in the fourth round. Carson Beck. It’s no surprise the Cardinals wanted a quarterback in this draft, but taking Beck in the third round was head-scratching. Nothing against Beck — he led the Miami Hurricanes to last season’s College Football Playoff championship game — but the Cardinals probably could’ve taken him later. Perhaps they learned their lesson Thursday, thinking they had plenty of time to draft Alabama’s Ty Simpson, only to see the Rams surprisingly grab the Alabama quarterback at No. 13. Beck’s college journey is well known. He spent five years at Georgia before transferring to Miami for his final season. There’s not much he didn’t experience in college. He played in big games. He recovered from injuries. He adjusted to a new locker room and scheme. “There was no shortage of tape to evaluate,” Ossenfort said. “Carson’s played a lot of ball. Banked a lot of reps. He played in a lot of intense environments in the SEC. … A lot of things sold us on Carson, and we’re excited to add him to our room.” LaFleur called Beck (6-4, 233 pounds) a “big, solid dude” who looks the part. A natural thrower. And he also likes that his journey wasn’t perfect. “I think one of the coolest things about him, he’s been through those big games, but he’s been through some adversity too,” LaFleur said. “And it’s well-documented. It’s out there. I think he’s gotten better from it. … I really enjoyed my time with him.” Who’s QB1? For the first time in eight years, the Cardinals don’t have an obvious starter. Even when Kyler Murray was hurt, everyone knew the job was his once he was ready. This season, that is not the case. Released in March, Murray is with the Minnesota Vikings. Arizona has vets in Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. Then there’s Beck, the rookie. To start, Brissett is probably the guy, but the Cardinals have not announced this publicly. The 33-year-old put up decent numbers in place of an injured Murray last season. His teammates liked playing with him. But Brissett still finished 1-11 as a starter. Potentially complicating matters: Brissett hasn’t participated in the team’s voluntary offseason program because he wants more money. Ossenfort does not seem worried. “Both Mike and I have had good dialogue with Jacoby,” he said. “Obviously, this is the voluntary portion of everything. We’ll continue to have conversations with Jacoby, but things are in a good spot.” The Cardinals added right tackle Elijah Wilkinson and others during free agency and drafted Bisontis in the second round, so it’s hard to say Ossenfort did not make the line an offseason priority. But was it enough? Arizona’s line last season was among the worst in the NFL, ranking second to last in rushing and struggling to protect the passer. Aside from left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and center Hjalte Froholdt, the line could have three new starters. Veteran Isaac Seumalo, a starter for the Steelers the past three seasons, is expected to start at left guard. Wilkinson, who started all 17 games last season with the Atlanta Falcons, is the projected starter at right tackle. “Not really naming starters anywhere right now, but I think Elijah will definitely have a chance there,” Ossenfort said. Bisontis likely will get the chance to start at right guard. About 20 minutes after he was drafted Friday night, Bisontis twice described himself as “mean, tough and nasty.” That’s a positive. “Chase is what you want in a guard,” LaFleur said. “He could move. He can cover people up. But ultimately, he strains to finish, and that’s what you really like about him.” It looks better on paper. But ultimately, health will determine Arizona’s success up front. Don’t let the draft-weekend optimism fool you — the Cardinals have a long road ahead. They will start the season with one of the least successful QB rooms in the league. They have not done much to improve a defense that faded in last season’s final weeks. Key players are still recovering from serious injuries. Plus, they play in perhaps the most challenging division in the league, the NFC West. This will take time. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms