ESPN predicts Cardinals NFL Draft trade with Patriots to get Ty Simpson

The Arizona Cardinals need to figure out their future at the quarterback position. Arizona parted ways with Kyler Murray after his seven-season tenure in the desert. One analyst believes the Cardinals could find their next quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.

ESPN’s Ben Solak released a new mock draft exclusively for quarterbacks on Wednesday. He predicted Arizona will trade with New England for the 31st overall pick, which they used on Alabama QB Ty Simpson.

Solak pointed to Tyler Shough and Jaxson Dart as examples of similar players from the 2025 NFL Draft. The Cardinals essentially took the same approach with Simpson that the Giants did when trading up for Dart.

There is plenty to like about Simpson’s game. The Alabama quarterback has drawn pro comparisons to Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, and Mac Jones leading up to the draft.

“Simpson has an extremely likable game. He gets through his options briskly and with great footwork. He’s always loaded and ready to throw, which allows him to connect on deep-breaking routes with anticipation,” Solak wrote. “Pressure can draw out the worst in Simpson, as he short-circuits into bad scrambles or big accuracy sprays. But he also has moments of fearless delivery into big hits and great throws off platform. In that he’s only a 15-game starter, it’s reasonable to believe he’ll round into a more reliable performer on pressured dropbacks as his career continues.”

Solak argued that building around Simpson could be the best option for Arizona moving forward.

“Once the Cardinals have a rookie-contract starter, they can start the long process of spending their way into contention with the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers with whom they share their division,” Solak concluded. “Taking the leap on Simpson is the first step.”

It will be exciting to watch how Arizona approaches the first round of the draft later this month.

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