The Arizona Cardinals Could Select a Quarterback with their first round selection this year
The Arizona Cardinals were potentially facing a major issue heading into this off-season. Had veteran quarterback Carson Palmer decided to retire, the team would have had no viable options to replace him. They would have had to sign a free agent like Jay Cutler or Tony Romo, or drafted, and started, a rookie. Luckily, Palmer is back for another season, and the Cardinals get some time to work out their plan for life in 2018 and beyond.
The 2017 NFL Draft has, depending on who is doing the talking, a big four, or five, at the quarterback position. The order that those players are ranked in is varied, and there is no consensus top passer available. That doesn’t mean that the Cardinals shouldn’t draft one, however.
The Cardinals have more than one need that could be addressed with the 13th overall pick that they have this year. Conventional wisdom says that they should use it on their quarterback of the future. There may not be a dominant passer available, but the top five guys all have great potential, and could become very good NFL players.
If the Cardinals select a quarterback with the intention of grooming him to be the starter once Palmer retires, it’s probably going to be one of the top five available. Here’s a look at those top five, and whether or not they’d be good fits in Arizona.