Arizona Cardinals: QB Brett Hundley Being Considered?

By Dan Schmelzer | Apr 24, 2015

The Arizona Cardinals raced off to a hot start last season. Following a Week 11 win over the Detroit Lions, the Cardinals sat atop the NFL standings with a 9-1 record.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals limped through the rest of the regular season, going 2-4 in their last six games, before bowing out in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Injuries across the board are at least partially to blame for the Cardinals’ demise, most notably at the quarterback position. Starter Carson Palmer went down with a torn ACL in their Week 10 matchup against the St. Louis Rams. Back up Drew Stanton filled in admirably before he missed the rest of the season after a knee injury suffered in Week 14.

Nov 9, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer reacts as he is taken off the field on a cart after suffering an injury in the second half against the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 31-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Lindley took over after Stanton, and he simply could not get the job done. The Cardinals’ Super Bowl aspirations were crushed.

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While Palmer and Stanton are expected to be fully recovered this season, and it is hard to imagine the Cardinals getting hammered with injuries like they did last season, they are showing some interest in a quarterback in the 2015 NFL Draft

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Cardinals recently had UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley in for a visit.

Hundley is an Arizona native who is firmly in the second tier of quarterbacks in this draft class. After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the quarterback position is figured to be weak in this class. Some combination of Hundley, Bryce Petty, Garrett Grayson and Sean Mannion make up the second tier of quarterbacks.

Each of these prospects show nice promise, but come with plenty of faults. Hundley probably fits that description the best.

With great size (6-foot-3, 226 pounds), athleticism and arm strength, Hundley has all of the natural abilities that you look for in an NFL quarterback. While inconsistent, there are times when Hundley looks like an absolute superstar on the field.

Unfortunately, he certainly has some weaknesses. First, his offense at UCLA was relatively simple. He took almost every single snap from shotgun, and the offense allowed for quick and easy decisions for the quarterback. While it is not really his fault that he was not asked to read defenses at the level of most college quarterbacks, it is something that Hundley must learn to do at the next level.

The accuracy on Hundley’s passes is a work in progress. He had a tough time consistently making accurate throws, but there were certainly times when he put the ball on the dime. He has shown the ability to be accurate, he just needs to do it on a more consistent basis.

In college, Hundley played in an aggressive offense that made a lot of throws downfield. Head coach Bruce Arians loves to throw the deep ball, and that is one of Hundley’s best skills. In that aspect, he seems like a perfect fit for the Cardinals’ offense.

Hundley also shows a great ability to make plays with his legs. He shows great poise in the pocket, and feels the pressure very well. He is not afraid to pull the ball down and run, and he certainly has the speed and quickness to make plays when he escapes the pocket.

Arians typically likes his quarterbacks to stay in the pocket and make plays with their arm, but Hundley has a special gift with his mobility. I have to imagine that he would make an exception for an athlete like Hundley.

Hundley is a very talented player who has all of the un-coachable tools that you look for in an NFL quarterback. If he is selected by Arizona, he would have time to sit behind Palmer and learn from one of the best offensive coaches in the league. Selecting a talented developmental player at the quarterback position seems to make a lot of sense for Arizona; that is, if they didn’t already have one.

Last year, the Cardinals selected quarterback Logan Thomas in the fourth round of the draft. Similarly to Hundley, Thomas is a mobile, strong-armed QB who needed time to grow as a player. Even with all of the injuries at the position, Thomas saw very little playing time last season.

Dec 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Logan Thomas (6) warms up on the sidelines against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 35-6. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to imagine that the Cardinals have given up on a developmental talent like Thomas already, but perhaps their interest in Hundley means that they have. Thomas has a lot of upside, but if the Cardinals’ brain trust believes that Hundley is a better talent, selecting him would not be a bad idea.

Having two high-upside developmental quarterbacks on the roster seems a little odd. However, both Thomas and Hundley are not exactly “sure things”, so maybe the Cardinals are looking at this as an opportunity to double their chances of finding a quarterback of the future?

I do not think that the Cardinals will take Hundley in the first two rounds of the draft. They have other more immediate needs that must be addressed early. That being said, if he were to slip to them in the third round, selecting Hundley will be enticing.

While a raw player, Hundley is a very talented prospect who has big upside going forward. Regardless of Thomas being on the roster, the Cardinals are one of the best situations in the NFL for developing a talent like Hundley. For the right price, selecting him would be wise.

Next: Is this center a First-Round Option for Cardinals?

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