The Arizona Cardinals used the 143rd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil, a 6-foot-2-plus target whose speed made him a clear fit for a team looking for a true burner.
Virgil ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, but his game is built around getting downfield and turning that straight-line burst into plays deep. The selection gives Arizona another receiver with vertical tools in a room that already includes Marvin Harrison Jr., Kendrick Bourne and Michael Wilson.
That is the point for first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, who needed a receiver capable of stretching defenses and taking the top off coverage. The Cardinals did plenty of homework on receivers before the draft, and Virgil was one of the players who fit what they were after.
Scouting reports describe Virgil as a big receiver with the short-area quickness of a smaller player. Dane Brugler wrote that he shows suddenness in his release package to gain an initial advantage and can drop his weight at the top of routes to create spacing, while also noting that he is tougher than his frame would suggest.
That same evaluation also points to the work ahead. Brugler said Virgil likely will need an adjustment period with NFL physicality mid-route and at the catch point, which helps explain why he will most likely have to make his first impact on special teams before he earns a role in Arizona's offense.
For the Cardinals, the gamble is straightforward: Virgil may not be ready to command targets immediately, but his speed, size and locker-room reputation give him a chance to become more than a late-round flyer if the rest of his game catches up.
