Second-tier passer could fulfill Arizona Cardinals needs
By Jim Koch
While the top-tier quarterbacks hog all of the attention, there’s other passers who the Arizona Cardinals may consider drafting
Fans of the Arizona Cardinals have heard the names. While following our team’s quest to find their next quarterback, there are a group of potential draftees who have been brought to our attention repeatedly. They are a “Fab Four”, if you will, consisting of Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield.
But in addition to those prospects, there’s also a second-tier of signal-callers who don’t get talked about quite as much. The notion that the members of this contingent are a notch below the top four could be nothing more than a matter of opinion. Perhaps the Cards could do just as well selecting a passer who’s not as highly-rated as those in the top quadrant are.
Mason Rudolph appears to be the cream of the crop of the second wave. The Oklahoma State product has great size (6’4″, 229), a good arm, football smarts and leadership skills. As a senior, Rudolph completed 65% of his passes for 4,904 yards, with 37 touchdown tosses and an eye-popping 10.0 yards per attempt.
Washington State’s Luke Falk had his best campaign in 2015, when he tallied 4,566 yards, 38 touchdown throws and a 69.5 completion percentage. The redshirt senior is a bit slight at 6’3″, 211, but has a frame that could carry more weight. Falk’s positives include his mechanics, quick release, accuracy and football intellect.
The biggest knock on Kyle Lauletta is the level of competition he faced while leading the Richmond University offense. The 6’2″, 217 pounder played his best in 2017, throwing for 3,737 yards and 28 touchdowns. Lauletta does have a torn ACL in his history (2016), but the redshirt senior possesses a quick release, good feet and makes good decisions.
For those who prefer running quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson rushed for over 3,000 yards during the 2016-17 seasons combined. As a passer, the Louisville Cardinal has never had better than a 59.0 completion percentage in college. Jackson’s long throwing motion, lack of mechanics and a Wonderlic score of just 13 are major red flags.
Next: Arizona Cardinals find a new receiver
There’s obviously options outside of the top-four candidates. In fact, Arizona may be forced to go this route. Who knows, maybe a pot of gold is waiting at the end of the second-tier rainbow.