When the Arizona Cardinals completed their 2026 NFL Draft class in April, it looked promising.
Despite injuries to their top four draft picks, two of which are done for the season after already being placed on injured reserve, it still has a chance to be a class that extends the tenure of Monti Ossenfort.
While Chase Bisontis and Kaleb Proctor will both be players to watch in 2027 and beyond, the reality is that this class this year hangs on one player… Carson Beck.
While if for some odd reason Jeremiyah
Love is not the player everyone expects him to be, it would likely be the end of Ossenfort, it would also likely end the tenure of every GM who made the pick, so that wouldn’t be surprising.
No, for Ossenfort, he needs Beck to erase the injuries that have plagued the Cardinals draft selections through the Ossenfort tenure.
He needs Beck to show something this season if and when he gets the opportunity, because the Cardinals cannot afford to be as bad as everyone projects them to be. A fourth top five pick for one GM in five years is unheard of.
Ossenfort cannot be held overly responsible for healthy players sustaining injuries, but he has taken swings on players with medical concerns throughout his tenure and they have all had injuries in the NFL as well.
So, what Ossenfort needs is a win. A definitive win that he can hang his hat on in terms of his draft acumen. The only answer unfortunately is Beck, unless you think Jayden Williams can be the starting right tackle on a potential playoff team.
