Monti's Noah's Ark Approach to Free Agency

By Walter Mitchell

Heading toward the 2026 NFL Draft, Arizona Cardinals' GM, Monti Ossenfort, has created a Noah's Ark two-deep preliminary roster:

Defense:

* SOLB: Zaven Collins, Jordan Burch

* SDE: Walter Nolan, Jonah Williams

* NT: Roy Lopez, P.J. Mustipher

* WDE: Darius Robinson, Dante Stills

* WOLB: Josh Sweat, Baron Browning

* MILB: Cody Simon, Austin Keys

* WILB: Mack Wilson Sr., Owen Pappoe

* LCB: Will Johnson, Max Melton

* SS: Budda Baker, Andrew Wingard

* FS: Dadrion-Taylor-Demerson

* RCB: Elijah Jones, Denzel Burke

* NCB: Garrett Williams, Sean Murphy-Bunting

Offense:

* QB: Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew

* RB: James Conner, Tyler Allgeier

* TE: Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins

* WR: Michael, Wilson, Xavier Weaver

* WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Kenrick Bourne

* SWR: Devin Duvernay, Ihmir Smith-Marsette

* LT: Paris Johnson Jr., Demontrey Jacobs

* LG: Isaac Seumalo, Jon Gaines II

* C Hjalte Froholdt, Hayden Conner

* RG: Isaiah Adams, Matt Pryor

* RT: Josh Fryar, Elijah Wilkinson

Special Teams:

* K: Chad Ryland, Josh Karty

* P: Blake Gillikin

* LS: Casey Kreiter

2026 NFL Draft needs:

1. Edge rusher - 

Having a legitimate edge rushing threat opposite Josh Sweat would help the Cardinals get out of their three-year sack total doldrums (30th, 29th, 30th) and could be the key to improving the team's number of defensive takeaways. The draft is set up perfectly at the top at this position, with three superb edge rushing prospects in Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami FL), David Bailey (Texas Tech) and Arvell Reese (Ohio St.).

Baldy on Bain:

https://x.com/BaldyNFL/status/2026365452503392754?s=20

2. Slot CB - 

Walter B J Mitchell

@WBJMItch

The problem is, neither Garrett Williams nor SMB have the requisite speed, short-area quickness, fluid hips and recovery ability to play sticky man to man from the slot. They both are good at playing zone coverage from the slot, which is where they have gotten their interceptions, not in man. Monti has drafted 7 CBs and 5 of them are best suited for zone. Only Max Melton and Elijah Jones are legit man-to-man CBs. Max could be an asset in the slot, while Elijah is best suited to play man versus the X WR to his side. Keionte Scott from The U, is the perfect answer and the Cardinals now have his CB coach in Zac Etheridge. The other top slot CB in this draft is University of Arizona's Treydan Stukes. There's a good reason why the Rams paid so much to acquire Trent McDuffie. In the NFC West teams have to have a slot CB to cover JSN, Kupp, Puka, CMC, Piersall, etc. Right now, the Cardinals no not have that guy. I think ASU's Keith Dabney II and Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds could be very good in the slot, but Dabney only played there 13 snaps in 2025 and Ponds on had 6 snaps. It could take them a good deal of time to adjust. While Keionte Scott had 489 and Treydan Stukes had 380.

3. Defensive Tackle - 

With Walter Nolen's injury, Darius Robinson's struggles and the absence of Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, Monti need to add starting talent at DT. Round 2 could bring the Cardinals such talent with an array of excellent prospects like Landon Robinson (Navy), plus one of Mel Kiper's top 5:

 1. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

2. Peter Woods, Clemson

3. Lee Hunter, Texas Tech

4. Caleb Banks, Florida

5. Christen Miller, Georgia

4. Inside Linebacker -

Mack Wilson Sr. as 2025 Defensive MVP? 

https://x.com/ClancysCorner/status/2026055396562194635?s=20

Walter B J Mitchell

@WBJMItch

·

Feb 24

In terms of leadership and grit, you are 100% correct. The problem is Mack Wilson Sr.'s natural position is not at MIKE. Cards are the only team in the NFL who has played him there and who would ever play him there. Same with Kyzir. He's not an NFL MIKE. The reason is neither Mack nor Kyzir have the speed or the range to play man coverage on the RB, particularly on the wheel that routes that McVay and Shanahan have crushed the Cardinals with ever since Vance thought it was a good idea to put the statuesque Jordan Hicks at MIKE. What playing them at MIKE ensured was a ton of Gannon's "caution and cushion" zone coverages --- which opponents consistently picked apart.

With Cody Simon he won Rose Bowl Natty defensive MVP because he showed the speed and range to be able to cover Jeremiyah Love on wheel routes and swings, limiting him to 2 catches for 5 yards, plus helping to render Jeremiyah to 3 yards on 4 carries between the tackles. It took a couple of games for Cody to assimilate into the Cardinals' defense --- which speaks in part to how unconventionally passive the Cardinals defense is. But Cody came on strong late in the season and he, unlike Mack, allows the coaches to play more man-to-man coverage. What I was hoping to see was the Cardinals changing to a 4-3 so that Cody could play MIKE and Mack could play WOLB --- that's his natural position, where the Pats used him during what was his best NFL season, often on blitzes, which is his forte. Mack was an MVP leader but Josh Sweat, by far, was the MVP performer.

5. Slot Receiver, Punt Returner - 

I am hoping that Monti re-signs Greg Dortch or that he drafts one of the better slot receivers in the 2026 draft. (Update: Monti just signed WR/PR Devin Duvernay and had signed WR/KR Ihmir Smith-Marsette several weeks ago.

6. Offensive Tackle -

In my opinion, the fact that Monti added both Matt Pryor (1-year $1.45M contract) and Elijah Wilkinson (2-years, $6.25M contract) in free agency, with Josh Fryar (whom the coaches believe can be a flat-out mauler at the position) and Christian Jones (again, a young player who is well-liked), ensures that he won't be taking a tackle in Round 1, and because Monti also is very high on Demontrey Adams, he may not be planning to take a tackle on Day 2 in this year's draft.

Here's what, in my opinion, would be an ideal outcome for the Cardinals:

Updated Mock (with the Duvernay signing)

ARI

1.

Rueben Bain Jr.EDGE Miami (FL)

2.

Landon RobinsonDT Navy

3..

Keionte ScottCB Miami (FL)

4.

Kyle LouisLB Pittsburgh

5.

Rayshaun BennyDT Michigan

6.

James BrockermeyerOC Miam217.

7. Jakobe Thomas

7. Jacoby Thomas, S, Miami FL