McShay's Bold Cardinals Mock

Ty Simpson is in Arizona for a private workout with the Cardinals, and Todd McShay's latest mock has the front office making the kind of bold move that actually fits the moment.

McShay's scenario: Arizona moves from 34th overall, the second pick of night two, up to the third-to-last pick of night one, and takes Simpson. The rationale is not about forcing a quarterback into the building right now. It is about giving Mike LaFleur a developmental option who fits his system while keeping the door wide open to 2027.

LaFleur's offense is the first piece. McShay believes Simpson fits what LaFleur wants to run, which matters more than most public evaluations account for.

The second piece is the cap and capital math. If Arizona can trade out of the third pick and recover a second next year, they stay in the mix for the 2027 class that includes Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Brennan Sorsby, Sam Leavitt, CJ Carr, and others McShay could keep listing.

The bridge is Jacoby Brissett. Start him, see where Simpson is, and pull the trigger on playing time only when the tape says it is time. If Simpson is the guy, great. If he is not, Arizona still has ammunition for 2027.

McShay uses the Jets as the counterpoint. New York likes Simpson but not enough to package picks. If he is there at 33, they will take him. They will not move up to 16 for him.

Arizona is different. More aggressive. More willing to pay a modest toll to secure the quarterback they actually want. McShay floats a fifth and sixth-round pick as the cost to move up a handful of spots to around 30.

He pushes back on the panic of needing to jump Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is not taking a quarterback at 21. Cleveland is not taking one at 24. You just need to get ahead of pick 33. New England at 31 would take the call. Seattle at 32 with John Schneider would take the call. Miami would happily move back to stack more picks for a roster overhaul.

McShay also addresses the Simpson profile honestly. The first nine tapes were legitimate. Then the Alabama run game disappeared, Ryan Williams got hurt, the protection broke down, and Simpson dropped to 190 pounds fighting gastritis. Maybe the player from those first nine games is the real one.

If he is, the Cardinals nailed it. If he is not, the cost was minimal and the 2027 door stays open. That is what makes the move make sense.