2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen top first round
By Brad Weiss
Lamar Jackson
Quarterback, Louisville
Prior to the 2017 NFL Draft, many people, including myself, figured that the Arizona Cardinals would take a quarterback in the first round. Their current starter, Carson Palmer, is getting up there in age, and he was not even sure he was going to come back for the 2017 season. Well, he is back, and the Cardinals have the talent to be very good this season, but how long is Palmer being the team’s starting quarterback going to last.
The Cardinals need to do something to bolster the position, as they cannot have Drew Stanton take over when Palmer finally decides to retire. Planning for the future has to be their top priority in next year’s NFL Draft, and luckily for them, this draft has a ton of talent at the position. If he is available at No. 16, the Cardinals should look to draft Lamar Jackson, who is a very underrated player at this point.
Jackson actually won the Heisman Trophy last season, though you would not know that based on all the experts this season. He is playing with a serious chip on his shoulder, and racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense in the Louisville’s season opening victory this past weekend. He is going to have another huge season, and will likely leave college after the 2017 campaign.
Arizona has a bunch of talent on their roster, but they are not going to win many games if Stanton is the successor to Palmer. They need to bring in a young player as soon as next season, and Jackson has proven he can take the reigns as a young player before. He was the youngest player to ever win the Heisman, and while his game may not be perfect for the NFL, you cannot grade his heart, or his determination.