March 25, 2026, 9:02 p.m. MT
Just under a month away from the 2026 NFL draft, there is a new round of mock drafts coming from all over. The latest comes from Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy, projecting the first round of the draft.
The Arizona Cardinals have the third overall pick, and in these projections, they stick and pick. They don’t move down to get more picks and they don’t try to get a quarterback.
In fact, these projections have the Cardinals doing the opposite of what they did in 2023. Then, with a great pass rusher on the board in Will Anderson, they traded back and then moved up to get a tackle.
In these projections, they get the pass rusher.
Round 1, pick No. 3: Miami EDGE Reuben Bain Jr.
Bain is exactly what you want from an all-around edge defender but as a pass rusher, his short arms are unprecedented as far as pass rushers and sack totals. No pass rusher in NFL history has gotten double-digit sacks in a season with arms as short as Bain’s.
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A pass rusher with arms that short has never been selected in the top 10, so this would be betting on him being an outlier. The Cardinals do have some inside information. Two of their new assistant coaches were on Miami’s coaching staff and would know Bain personally.
He was an All-American on the nation’s runner-up to Indiana with one of the best defenses in the nation. He was dominant, logging 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
The Cardinals have done nothing on the defensive edge this offseason and were terrible there outside of Josh Sweat. Bain would be a great pick.
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