Is it too early to think about the 2024 NFL draft? Apparently not.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid has projections for 2024 and the Cardinals have the first two picks in the draft.
Who are their selections?
They select USC quarterback Caleb Williams first overall and then with the second pick (from the Houston Texans), they take Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
This assumes the Cardinals are the worst team in the league and that the Texans follow them.
Some might be excited at the thought. However, it does mean bad things for the Cardinals.
If they are the worst team in the league, it means quarterback Kyler Murray either returned very late in the year or that he was bad in his return from his recovery from a torn ACL.
If he is bad, it makes trading him very difficult.
Because if Murray returns and plays well, they won’t end up with the worst record. They won’t.
And if he plays well, they would have to ask a very hard question as to whether he or Williams will be better long-term and will they press the reset button for the second straight year.
Harrison as the second pick makes all the sense, especially if Murray plays well.
And if the Cardinals have the first two picks in the draft, it is highly unlikely they keep both picks. One or both would be dealt.
The narrative that the Cardinals are moving on from Murray is simply a fabrication. It is a worst-case scenario.
The team believes in Murray. They have seen him play stretches at an MVP level.
They potentially can move on from him next year. But is that their plan? Absolutely not.
Cardinals fans should not be rooting for a scenario like this.
They should want to see Houston be terrible so they can have the second pick and move back some or just grab Harrison, who appears will be an absolutely special player in the NFL and give Murray a big-time, young target for years to come.
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