Kyler Murray has spent his entire career as the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. He has found some success in his role, but his results have been extremely inconsistent.
He has turned in just a 2-3 record in his five starts this season as the team continues to struggle to get back to being playoff contenders. This contributes to a recent mock draft predicting the Cardinals to select a new quarterback this year.
2026 NFL Mock Draft Picks a Potential Kyler Murray Replacement for Cardinals
Mock Draft season is already underway, as many analysts have already started looking ahead to which prospects could land with specific NFL teams. Jacob Infante recently released one on PFSN, and it included the Cardinals potentially finding a replacement for Murray.
He has the franchise selecting Baylor Bears star Sawyer Robertson with the 74th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He has impressively totaled 63 touchdowns, including 56 passing and seven rushing, in three seasons with the team after transferring there from Mississippi State.
“The Cardinals need to make a change at the quarterback position. They miss out on the top prospects in this 2026 NFL Mock Draft, but Sawyer Robertson has a strong arm with intriguing playmaking abilities in his own right,” explained Infante.
Arizona missed out on the first wave of elite quarterback prospects in this mock draft, but Robertson possesses the upside to be a steal in the mid-rounds. Of his 63 touchdowns, 60 of them have come over the past two years, and the 2025 season hasn’t even been completed yet.
Murray began his career with the Cardinals by being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year before being named to two consecutive Pro Bowls in each of the next two seasons. He also made the playoffs in his third year, but hasn’t returned since. He has also turned in a losing record in every season since then.
The veteran ranks just 19th in PFSN’s Impact Rankings among all quarterbacks this season. He has also only finished better than 17th twice in his seven years with the Cardinals. All of this suggests that the franchise could be considering a change at the position, so Robertson is a legitimate option in the 2026 Draft.
This particular Mock Draft has them passing on picking a quarterback in the first two rounds, instead selecting an offensive tackle and a wide receiver. It will be interesting to see how they approach the position with Murray seemingly declining in recent years.