CBS Sports’ Brinson: Cardinals land QB Falk in way-too-early 2018 mock
May 1, 2017, 12:48 PM | Updated: 5:32 pm
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk (4) looks for a receiver during the first half of the Holiday Bowl NCAA college football game against Minnesota, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
And after all the speculation, excitement and worry, the Arizona Cardinals did not land their quarterback of the future — or, at least, the player who they think would fill the role — in the 2017 NFL Draft.
After the draft, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said they talked about a couple of the QBs available on Day 3, but were not really tempted to take any.
Surprising?
“It’s just how it goes, brother,” he answered.
No doubt that upsets some while pleases others, given that this year’s quarterback class was filled with potential but lacked anything in the way of a sure thing.
Next year’s QB class, however, figures to be much more highly regarded, which is why CBSSports.com’s Will Brinson, in his admittedly way-too-early 2018 mock draft, has five passers being selected in the draft’s first round.
And, perhaps not surprisingly, he has one of them going to the Cardinals, who he predicts will be picking 20th overall.
With USC’s Sam Darnold (1, to the Browns), Wyoming’s Josh Allen (2, to the 49ers), UCLA’s Josh Rosen (3, to the Jets) and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph (16th, to the Redskins) off the board, he has Arizona tabbing Washington State’s Luke Falk.
Our fifth quarterback of the draft! The Cardinals were a candidate to draft a quarterback early and whether or not Carson Palmer is coming back for 2017, they’re going to need to plan for the future.
Heading into his senior season, Falk is certainly an intriguing prospect. At 6-foot-4 he has good size, and in two years as the Cougars’ full-time starter in 2015 and 2016 has thrown for 9,029 yards and 76 touchdowns against just 19 interceptions while completing 70 percent of his passes.
But for Falk, his statistics don’t exactly tell the entire story.
Like Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff and other dynamic college QBs before him, he comes from an offense that is incredibly pass-happy and designed to make life incredibly easy on the quarterback. Therefore, his numbers are a bit inflated, meaning it’s fair to question just how effective a player he is.
At the same time, that does not mean he will be unable to pick up and run an NFL offense like Arizona’s, especially with time and proper coaching.
Elsewhere in the super early mock draft, former Arizona high school star Christian Kirk is pegged to go to the Lions at No. 9.
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