The late 2010s were supposed to be the start of a new sports era in The Valley.
In 2018, the Phoenix Suns landed the No. 1 overall pick, selecting University of Arizona product Deandre Ayton.
One year later, it was the Arizona Cardinals who were the first on the clock, selecting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray.
Start of a new era of Arizona sports
Let's not get into the class specifics, and the players (Luka) the Suns could've selected instead (Doncic). But relative to expectations as any top pick, Ayton didn't pan out for Phoenix.
It was frustrating: he had all the talent in the world to justify a top pick, yet he couldn't translate it into the impact on winning the Suns had hoped for, whether that was due to motor, on-court awareness, or something else entirely.
Ultimately, the Suns moved on from the Ayton era, shipping him to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the larger multi-team Damian Lillard blockbuster deal in 2023.
The Suns' former No. 1 overall pick now finds himself as a backup center for the Washington Wizards. The fact that Portland and now the Los Angeles Lakers have moved on from Ayton shows that Phoenix wasn't why the selection never quite worked out.
Cardinals looking to embrace a post-Kyler Murray era
This offseason, the Cardinals are now facing their version of moving on from a No .1 overall pick who failed to meet those lofty draft expectations. The writing was certainly on the wall throughout last season, but this offseason made it official with Murray ultimately signing with the Minnesota Vikings.
It's a somewhat bold move by Arizona, considering they still don't have a solution at the quarterback position. Time will tell whether it was Murray or the Cardinals to "blame" for this not quite going to plan.
He'll certainly have a great opportunity with the weapons in Minnesota and an elite offensive guru in Kevin O'Connell. Plus it's a positive sign that Murray has already beaten out J.J. McCarthy as their Week 1 starter against the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, it's also fair to wonder how low that bar is after the down year Jefferson had with McCarthy, proving even the best of wide receivers aren't truly quarterback-proof.
In all likelihood, this breakup between Murray and the Cardinals won't be as extreme as Ayton and the Suns, where there was one clear winner and loser of the decision.
But as these former No. 1 overall picks try to redefine expectations of how to succeed in their new homes, Arizona sports teams are left to pick up the pieces. Hopefully, the Jeremiyah Love selection and Mike LaFleur hiring signal the start of a new era for the Cardinals.
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