Snubbing of defensive stud could haunt Arizona Cardinals

The decision to pass on edge rusher Nick Bosa for a quarterback they didn’t need could haunt the Arizona Cardinals for years

Back in January, it appeared that the Arizona Cardinals knew exactly who they’d be selecting with the NFL Draft’s top pick. The consensus was that Nick Bosa, a dominant defensive end out of Ohio State, would be coming to the desert. The Cards’ front office had a change of heart, but may one day realize that they should’ve stuck with their original plan.

There are a couple of reasons why Arizona should’ve shied away from drafting Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray. For one, Arizona general manager Steve Keim took a gamble on a prospect who was a one-year wonder in college. Skeptics also believe that the diminutive Murray will struggle to see over his offensive linemen and find passing lanes.

There’s also another issue that comes into play because of the Cardinals’ selection of Murray. Deciding to roll with the quarterback meant passing on Bosa, a player who many believe was the best player in the draft. The move also allowed the former Buckeye to be taken by a club that Arizona must face two times every season.

The San Francisco 49ers were thrilled that their division foe ended up going with Murray. As a result, the team from the Bay Area was awarded a stud defender who they longed for all along. You can be sure that Bosa will have a Grand Canyon-sized chip on his shoulder every time he gets to play against Murray.

No one can say that the Cards weren’t warned. Bosa told ESPN’s Josina Anderson in an interview that he’ll be “sacking Kyler Murray” if Keim elects to snub him. The image of the Redbird’s tiny new signal-caller being driven into the turf by the much bigger Bosa is a scary one, to say the least.

No one could blame Murray for being frightened by the thought of an angry Bosa gunning for him. Keim and Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury have essentially put a target on the back of their new quarterback. A bulls-eye that Bosa will be enthusiastically aiming for every time the two rivals meet.