Kyler Murray, Josh Rosen make post-draft Sports Illustrated cover

Controversial a pick as Kyler Murray might’ve been for the Arizona Cardinals, the storyline isn’t just about him.

Sports Illustrated’s post-NFL Draft magazine cover features not only Murray, the No. 1 overall pick, but also departed Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen, who is starting fresh with the Miami Dolphins.

The magazine features torn images of Murray’s and Rosen’s respective draft days with “WILD CARDS” plastered across it.

This Week's Cover: @TheKylerMurray is the man for the @AZCardinals and @josh3rosen gets a fresh start with the @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/offHpXqx8W

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 30, 2019

The stories in the magazine cover Rosen’s rare change of scenery after just one year with Arizona; and why moving on to Murray makes sense in this financially-prudent age where teams want nothing more than to win with their quarterbacks on rookie contracts.

As messy as the draft was when Arizona selected Murray and spent the next day trying to trade Rosen, maybe it’s quite simple.

The Cardinals may have liked Rosen and believed in him, but they felt more sure about Murray’s talent and more dynamic skillset. While they passed on high-potential defensive linemen in Nick Bosa and Quinnen Williams, filling the quarterback position is a different priority altogether.

And that’s why, despite Arizona looking like it’s made knee-jerk decisions, taking such a non-traditional player like Murray appeared worth the risk.

That risk made for one of the most compelling storylines of draft.

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