Pro Football Focus: Cardinals need to win the 2019 draft

The 2019 free agency period has largely quieted down, and most people agree that the Cardinals did a pretty good job in filling some of the holes that existed on their roster.

A lot of work still remains if they want to bounce back from one of the worst seasons in franchise history, however, and the next step is the NFL Draft.

Rumors have swirled about what the Cardinals will do with the No. 1 pick, mainly concerning whether or not they will select Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray at the top spot.

Whatever they decide to do, it is imperative that they get it right, which is why Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus listed the Cardinals as one of five teams that need to win the 2019 NFL Draft.

After taking former UCLA signal-caller Josh Rosen with the 10th overall pick of the draft just a year ago, the Cardinals struggled through a year of poor quarterback play by the rookie, who ended the year with an abysmal grade of 49.1 that ranked 37th among 38 players at the position.

According to Chichester, this poor play by Rosen combined with the perceived good fit between Murray and new head coach Kliff Kingsbury adds more pressure to the Cardinals and makes their choice even more crucial.

Chichester would go on to say that Pro Football Focus believes Murray is the best player in the draft, and that the Cardinals have many tough questions regarding the Murray and Rosen debate that they need to ask themselves before they submit their pick on April 25.

We’re confident that the best player available is Kyler Murray, and we think he can transform the Cardinals’ offense. But do the Cardinals believe the same? And what if they stick with Rosen and he continues to underwhelm under center? What if Rosen shows improvement, but Kyler Murray storms out of the gate and surpasses Rosen in his first season?

These are all important questions for the Cardinals that need correct answers, as using the No. 1 pick on a quarterback would be a big commitment after trading up to draft Rosen just one year ago.

It remains to be seen what they will ultimately do, but one thing that is for sure is that their decision will be one of the more important ones in recent franchise history.