2018 NFL Redraft: Lamar Jackson saves the Cleveland Browns

10. Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen, QB (Josh Rosen, QB)

Arizona drafted Kyler Murray with the first overall selection in 2019, but, entering the 2018 NFL season, the Cardinals had no idea they’d finish with the top pick. The head coach who lobbied for drafting Murray, Kliff Kingsbury, wasn’t even with the team yet. Instead, the Cardinals entered the 2018 season with Steve Wilks serving in his first head coaching job, and the team selected UCLA’s Josh Rosen with the tenth overall pick.

In the redraft, Arizona still takes a quarterback, but they forgo Rosen in favor of Allen. I’m far from sold on Allen’s long-term viability as an NFL quarterback, but he did help the Buffalo Bills accumulate ten wins this past season. He’s also not a statue in the pocket like Rosen.

If the Cardinals knew they’d land Murray in 2019, the team would never draft an inferior quarterback like Allen. However, there’s no way Arizona could’ve seen its desolate 3-13 season coming. So, the Cardinals still draft a quarterback out of desperation.

Arizona did have Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon on its roster in 2018. Bradford signed a one-year, $20 million contract with the team in March. However, he went 0-3 as a starter before injuries rendered him useless. The Cardinals cut Bradford, and he never played in the NFL again. Rosen started Arizona’s other 13 games.

Even with all of the questions surrounding his accuracy, development, and decision-making, Allen is ten times better than Rosen. The Cardinals needed a quarterback, and the dual-threat Colorado product is the final first-round caliber signal-caller remaining.

Allen originally went seventh overall to the Bills.