The Arizona Cardinals haven’t been successful over the past decade, and much of it is due to how they’ve performed in the draft. Arizona has taken gambles on athletes and players with traits, hoping they could develop into something, but it hasn’t panned out the way they’ve expected. Taking two quarterbacks and gambling on a ton of versatile edge players can lead to poor team building; Arizona fans have felt it.

Along with the rest of this series, we won’t be ranking the Cardinals’ 2026 first-round pick, Jeremiyah Love, since he hasn’t taken the field yet. Here are the last 10 Cardinals first-round picks ranked from best to worst.

1. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma – 2019 NFL Draft

The Cardinals have taken two quarterbacks in the past decade, but no doubt Kyler Murray was the more successful one with the franchise. Selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray immediately transformed Arizona’s offense with his unique dual-threat ability and elite arm talent.

Through eight seasons, Murray has thrown for over 20,460 passing yards and 121 touchdown passes while adding over 3,000 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns. He has earned multiple Pro Bowl selections, won Offensive Rookie of the Year, and has consistently ranked among the NFL’s most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks. Despite battling injuries during parts of his career, he was the centerpiece of the franchise. But Arizona moved on this season, cutting him this offseason as a new regime takes over.

2. Haason Reddick, EDGE, Temple – 2017 NFL Draft

Haason Reddick’s career in Arizona started off slow, but a position change helped him break out. He spent the early years of his career playing inside linebacker, and moved back to edge rusher in 2020 and broke out with 12.5 sacks, earning recognition as an emerging edge rusher in the NFL.

During four seasons with the Cardinals, Reddick had 255 tackles, 20 sacks, 33 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles before leaving in free agency. While Arizona ultimately didn’t reap the benefits of his prime years, Reddick’s breakout season and overall impact make him one of the franchise’s better first-round picks over the last 10 years. That just speaks to how Arizona has drafted recently.

3. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State – 2023 NFL Draft

Paris Johnson Jr. has quickly become one of the more valuable building blocks for the Cardinals since being taken sixth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was asked to protect Murray’s blind side, and he immediately showed off the athleticism and consistency at the tackle position.

Through his first three seasons, Johnson has developed into a quality left tackle and is looking for an extension. His ability to excel in both pass protection and the running game has made him a cornerstone player for the Cardinals’ rebuild.

4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State – 2024 NFL Draft

It wasn’t a pretty 2025 for Marvin Harrison Jr., but there is still hope he’ll find his stride in the NFL in his third season. The Cardinals needed to get Murray some weapons on the outside and took Harrison with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He entered the league as one of the most polished receiver prospects in years, and Arizona fans had hope he’d be the team’s next great receiver.

Throughout his first two seasons, there have been a lot of flashes. Times of greatness, but also times of pure disappointment. Over two seasons, Harrison has 1,493 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns, and over 180 targets.

5. Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss – 2025 NFL Draft

It’s been one injury-riddled season for Walter Nolen, but just looking at the rest of the Cardinals’ draft picks, the upside of Nolen is why he’s this high. Arizona took him with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 draft. Regarded as one of the most talented defensive tackles in his class, Nolen brings explosiveness, athleticism, and power to Arizona’s defensive front.

Nolen battled injuries early on in his NFL career, missing the first half of the season and some in the back half. He ended up playing just six games, but in those games he flashed those exciting abilities rushing the passer. Health is the name of the game for Nolen, so Arizona fans hope 2026 is filled with it.

6. Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa – 2021 NFL Draft

The Cardinals drafted Zaven Collins hoping his size, instincts and versatility would strengthen the middle of their defense. Another one of those gambles along the front-seven. After winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy at Tulsa, Collins entered the NFL with expectations of becoming a defensive leader.

Over five seasons, Collins has improved year over year while transitioning into a more versatile role within Arizona’s defense. His ability to rush the passer, defend the run, and drop into coverage makes him a valuable contributor, even if he hasn’t reached Pro Bowl status yet.

7. Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson – 2020 NFL Draft

Isaiah Simmons entered the NFL as one of the most unique defensive prospects in recent memory. His ability to play linebacker, safety, slot corner and edge rusher made him an intriguing pick for the Cardinals with the eighth overall pick.

Although Simmons displayed flashes of his elite athleticism, Arizona struggled to find a permanent role that maximized his versatility. During three seasons with the Cardinals, he totaled 258 tackles, seven and a half sacks, four interceptions and 16 passes defended before being traded to the Giants. While productive, Simmons never fully became the defensive chess piece many envisioned.

8. Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri – 2024 NFL Draft

The Cardinals remain optimistic about Darius Robinson’s future after selecting him in the first round after a dominant final season at Missouri. Robinson entered the league with the versatility to line up both on the edge and along the interior of the defensive line.

Through his first two seasons, Robinson flashed the power and athleticism that made him one of the draft’s top defensive prospects. While injuries slowed the start of his career, he’s shown signs of development and could become an important piece of Arizona’s rebuilding defense.

9. Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss – 2016 NFL Draft

Robert Nkemdiche was considered one of the most physically gifted prospects in college football; he fell to the Cardinals due to concerns about consistency and off-field issues. Arizona hoped his rare athleticism would translate into becoming a disruptive force along the defensive line.

Instead, Nkemdiche never developed into a reliable starter. Over three seasons with the Cardinals, he appeared in 27 games, had 44 tackles, four and a half sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Injuries and inconsistent play prevented him from living up to his first-round billing, making him one of Arizona’s more disappointing draft picks of the last decade.

10. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA – 2018 NFL Draft

The Cardinals believed they had found their franchise quaterback when they selected Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was a polished passer coming out of UCLA; Rosen entered the league with high expectations despite concerns about his supporting cast.

His rookie season quickly fell apart behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. Rosen appeared in 14 games, throwing for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while posting a 3-10 record as a starter. After just one season, Arizona selected Murray with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and traded Rosen to Miami. With the investment and how fast the Cardinals moved on, Rosen is still one of the league’s biggest busts.