Who really knows what the Arizona Cardinals will do with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft? What do the recent numbers say?
If you’re inclined to believe what you read and have been doing your homework as of late, the thought that the Arizona Cardinals were dead set on making University of Oklahoma quarterback and 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has taken a recent turn.
That’s not to say that general manager Steve Keim, new head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the franchise are dead set in terms of going in a different direction with that selection. The Cardinals managed only three victories this past season and the club certainly has its share of needs at many positions.
The team ranked dead last in the NFL in total yards, rushing yards, passing yards and points scored in 2018. It would be easy, but certainly unfair, to put all of that dysfunction on rookie signal-caller Josh Rosen. A year ago, Keim traded up to take the former UCLA product with the 10th overall pick.
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These days, using the No. 1 selection on a quarterback has been more the norm than the early days of the common draft, which began in 1967. A team has used the top selection on the position 15 times in the past 21 years dating back to 1998, when the Indianapolis Colts opted for University of Tennessee’s Peyton Manning with the top choice.
Prior to that and from 1967-97, there were only eight occasions in which a franchise used the first pick on a quarterback. It started in 1970 when the Pittsburgh Steelers opted for Terry Bradshaw. That selection was followed by Jim Plunkett (1971), Steve Bartkowski (1975), John Elway (1983), Vinny Testaverde (1987), Troy Aikman (1989), Jeff George (1990) and Drew Bledsoe (1993).
It’s a pretty impressive list when you consider that three of these men are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Bradshaw, Elway and Aikman) and five of these players started at least one Super Bowl, albeit Plunkett and Elway did it for teams that they weren’t originally drafted by.
In recent years, performers such as Carolina’s Cam Newton (2011) and the Rams’ Jared Goff (2016) have guided clubs to the “Big Game.” Eli Manning was the first overall pick by the then-San Diego Chargers in 2004, but his rights were dealt to the New York Giants and the rest is history.
Of course, also consider that, dating back to 2013, there have been three quarterbacks (James Winston, Goff and Baker Mayfield), two defensive ends (Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett) and one tackle (Eric Fisher) that have gone No. 1 overall. And this is a talent pool stocked with defensive and offensive linemen.
Will the Arizona Cardinals take advantage of the latter and pass on the passer? The answer will come Thursday evening at Nashville and at this stage, it’s really anyone’s guess what Keim and company truly have in mind.