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NFL mock draft: Don’t mess with Texas

By Brad Weiss

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 11, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) throws a pass during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) throws a pass during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ryan Tannehill

Quarterback, Big Spring, Texas

In what would prove to be his last season in the NFL, Carson Palmer led his Arizona Cardinals back to the playoffs. However, it would be short-lived, as Palmer and company would lose in the Wildcard Round. The loss signaled the end of a very solid NFL career for Palmer, and leaves the Cardinals looking to the draft for their next signal-caller.

That player will be taken No. 22 overall, and it will be a guy who has led his team to the playoffs before. Though he was hurt late in the 2016 NFL season, it was Ryan Tannehill  that put the Miami Dolphins in contention for the playoffs, and he will take over a playoff-ready team in the desert. Tannehill comes to the Cardinals after spending the last two seasons with offensive guru Adam Gase as his head coach, and the Cardinals should be in good hands.

Since Gase took over in Miami, Tannehill has been a different player, and the Dolphins were actually a surprisingly good team. In Arizona, he will get to pilot a team that has arguably one of the best running backs in the game in David Johnson, as well as a some good young talent on the outside. Tannehill will have Larry Fitzgerald back in 2018, and with the emergence of John Brown and J.J. Nelson, the Cardinals should be pretty dangerous through the air.

The Cardinals know the NFC West is up for grabs, so they were definitely upset when Palmer decided to hang them up. However, Tannehill can play well enough to win games, and if he can just avoid the turnovers, this team should be able to get another stellar year out of Johnson in the run game in 2018.

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