2018 NFL Mock Draft: Two complete rounds including massive trades

If one of the top four quarterback prospects starts to fall, the Arizona Cardinals may consider some trade up scenarios. That being said, with so many holes on the roster and not a ton of overall draft capital to work with, I do not see the Cardinals trading up. In this 2018 NFL mock draft, the Cardinals stand pat at number 15 and still find their franchise quarterback of the future in Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.

Jackson is one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft class. There is no denying Jackson’s production in college. He is a former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback who has dominated the game the last two years. He is best known for his ability as a runner, consistently making plays with his legs. However, Jackson really grew as a passer last season, showing the ability to make plays inside the pocket.

Jackson’s athletic ability is incredibly impressive, but he also has a rocket arm that allows him to push the ball down the field. Jackson’s accuracy is inconsistent, but he showed a lot of improvement in that area last season. He has the ability to put the ball on a dime, he just needs to work on doing it more consistently.

Lamar Jackson is a raw quarterback prospect who has a ton of natural ability. In a perfect world, he could come in and sit for at least a year and learn the NFL game from the bench. If Sam Bradford can stay healthy, Arizona could sit Jackson for a year, allowing him to get ready to be their franchise signal caller for 2019 and beyond.

Simply put, the Cardinals have a ton of holes all across their roster. They could certainly go in many different directions here, but snagging their franchise quarterback of the future is a huge step in the right direction.