Clayton Tune is joining a crowded Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks room

The fifth-round draft pick will be battling for a roster spot when the Arizona Cardinals hold their 2023 training camp.

It was a bit of a surprise last weekend when the Arizona Cardinals used the 139th-overall draft selection on a quarterback. Clayton Tune, a fifth-rounder out of the University of Houston, was added to a crowded room of signal-callers. Will the rookie emerge out of the pack and seize a spot on this year's roster?

Complicating things at the position for the Cards is the fact that Kyler Murray will be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time. While the 25-year-old works his way back from a torn ACL, the squad's other four passers will compete to be the opening-day starter. As things stand at the moment, that assignment appears to be totally up for grabs.

If new head coach Jonathan Gannon is telling the truth, the individual who excels at Arizona's training camp practices will be under center in September. That would presumably include Tune, a First-team All-AAC nominee in 2022. Speaking to reporters after he was drafted last Saturday, the youngster certainly exuded the confidence it would take to lead the Cardinals offense while Murray is on the shelf.

""I think I'm the best quarterback in this class. If you look at my body of work, the effect that I have on the team that I play on, I elevate everyone around me. I'm a natural leader, people follow me and see the work that I'm putting in and the mindset that I have, and they want to follow suit.""

- Clayton Tune

Four viable candidates will battle it out to be the stand-in for Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray

Tune can certainly talk a good game, but the 24-year-old will still need to prove himself on the playing field. The odds-on favorite to be the fill-in for Murray is Colt McCoy, the 36-year-old veteran who has posted a 3-3 record as the Cards starter over the past two campaigns. The 6 foot 1, 212 pound McCoy is reportedly ready to go after he was forced to undergo a minor surgical procedure this offseason.

Back in March, Arizona's new regime decided that 27-year-old signal-caller David Blough was worth another look. The 6 foot 1, 207 pounder came to the organization last December, when he was signed off of the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Blough, the brother-in-law of New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, will be hoping to expand on the two starts he made for "Big Red" late last season.

Jeff Driskel, a 30-year-old free-agent acquisition, is also in the mix. The 6 foot 4, 235 pounder has posted a 1-9 record as an NFL starter in stints with the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans.

The Cardinals would love nothing more than to hand Tune the keys to the scoring attack while Murray recovers. McCoy, Blough and Driskel could have something to say about that, however. One thing's for certain, the open competition at the quarterback position will be one of the more interesting aspects of Arizona's 2023 training camp.

Source: New Cardinals QB Clayton Tune: 'I Think I'm the Best QB in This Class' by Donnie Druin, SI.com

(Information provided by Wikipedia)