Francis Mauigoa to Arizona? Inside the Cardinals’ Tank Strategy and 2026 Draft Approach

The 2026 NFL offseason is only a few weeks old and the start of this regular-season is still over five months away, but already chatter is growing around the NFL about the Arizona Cardinals and the 2027 NFL draft.

Yes, the one still 13 months away. And the one that projects to have substantially more quality and quantity available at the all-important quarterback position. 

The Cardinals are prepared to go into this season with journeyman Jacoby Brissett playing the bulk of the reps, as we noted weeks back, in what will be very much a transition year with rookie head coach Mike LaFleur, and with a roster that, after the major wave of free-agent talent has found new teams, looks like it is very much packaged to maximize losing next season in pursuit of their crack at the top pick in the 2027 draft.

“They’re tanking, bro,” as one general manager put it. “They aren’t even hiding it.”

LaFleur, just 39, will face a natural learning curve, and with his time spent around his brother, Green Bay playoff head coach Matt LaFleur, and Rams quarterback-guru Sean McVay, a huge part of his allure to Arizona was the hope he can help them find a level of play at that position sorely lacking through most of that franchise’s modern era. 

That position is not being addressed in any meaningful way this offseason, according to league sources, rather the organization will focus on buttressing all of the things around that position to create an environment where the quarterback they select next spring can flourish as quickly as possible. 

And if they happen to hold the first-overall selection, and the means to nab any passer they like without having to move up the draft to do so, then all the better.

“It’s all about 2027 for Arizona,” said the agent for one of the top quarterbacks on the market this offseason. 

“It’s between them and the Jets (for the top pick). They want LaFleur to have his pick of anyone he wants.”

What Does That Mean For the 2026 Draft

The Cardinals are in line to draft with the third-overall selection next month. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza will go to the Raiders first overall, and defensive prospects are expected to dominate the top of the draft. 

However, the Cardinals invested significant draft capital into building that side of the ball under former coach Jonathan Gannon, a defensive coordinator, and they have struggled for a decade or so to build a truly formidable offensive line. 

With that in mind, multiple evaluators believe Arizona will give very heavy consideration to taking an offensive lineman with their first pick, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa is considered by many to be the most impactful prospect available along those lines in this upcoming draft. 

Arizona needs a foundational tackle to protect whomever the next quarterback is, and he fits the bill.

The betting markets for the 2026 draft are just starting to form in a more robust manner, but Mauigoa to go third overall (+370, DraftKings) may be worth a sprinkle. There is also a chance Arizona trades down if another wants to pounce on a particular pass rusher there, so going with Arizona to draft an OL with its first pick might be another way to go as those markets form.