Former NFL GM Predicts Cardinals Will Draft QB

One former NFL GM has a hot name landing with the Arizona Cardinals.

ARIZONA -- Four quarterbacks are expected to be taken at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft, though former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum has a different take on how things will shake out.

The normal consensus has Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye going some variety in the first three picks before the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock.

Michigan QB JJ McCarthy has gained quite the amount of steam moving into the deep parts of the draft process, and many expect the Cardinals to capitalize on a quarterback-needy team before moving out of the pick.

Tannenbaum has other ideas.

The former executive - in his latest mock draft - has the Cardinals sticking and taking a new franchise quarterback.

"Look, QB availability is crucial in today's NFL -- 66 passers started at least one game last season -- and Kyler Murray hasn't played a full season since 2020. I really like McCarthy's long-term upside. The 21-year-old averaged 9 yards per attempt and completed 72.3% of his throws last season, and he bulked up to 219 pounds at the combine. In short, I think he's a better, younger and more durable quarterback than Murray right now, and I'm not passing up this chance," he wrote.

"You might point to Murray's contract (which includes $35.3 million guaranteed for 2024 and $29.9 million guaranteed for 2025), but teams routinely eat substantial dead money these days for a better opportunity at the position. And besides, I think the Cardinals could get a first-round pick back in exchange for him -- stay tuned there, I might have something up my sleeve."

Many believed when the new regime of Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort took over for Arizona, the Cardinals were prime candidates to deal Murray - who was coming off his torn ACL and still hadn't began his massive contract extension.

Yet Arizona has been nothing short of glowing when speaking of Murray when speaking on his ceiling, and barring a swift change of mentality and team-building, the Cardinals aren't going to move on from the former No. 1 pick.