NFL Power Rankings 2019: Raiders have helmet issues, Browns hype grows
By Randy Gurzi
29. Arizona Cardinals (30)
This weekend was the first chance we all got to see the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft in action as Kyler Murray was under center for the Arizona Cardinals. His debut was impressive as he was 6-of-7 for 44 yards, which doesn’t sound like a lot but he was crisp with his passes and even displayed the use of an RPO at one point in the game.
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He didn’t take off and run with it though as the team was keeping him in the pocket for the preseason but that will surely be another wrinkle in the offense that head coach Kliff Kingsbury runs. The rookie head coach came out of the game happy with what he saw from his top pick, praising Murray for his “quick decisions” and for protecting the football.
Defensively, the Cardinals looked fine but they were against reserves for the Los Angeles Chargers which makes it hard to judge. Overall, this team had a great draft and it’s tempting to put them higher on the list, but they need to prove themselves first.
As of now, they have an inexperienced quarterback and a rookie coach who is fresh off a losing season with Texas Tech. Their future looks bright but it would be foolish to believe there won’t be some growing pains over the next year or two.