ARIZONA CARDINALS
Two mock drafts predicted Cardinals’ trade with Raiders, Rosen pick
Apr 26, 2018, 7:48 PM | Updated: 9:41 pm
Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, presents UCLA's Josh Rosen with his Arizona Cardinals jersey during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Mock drafts provide a lot of insight and analysis leading up to the big day of the NFL Draft.
Once the clock starts, though, most mock drafts can be thrown out the window in terms of accuracy by the time five picks are read off.
RELATED STORIES
That made it a surprise Thursday when not one but two mock drafts called the shocking trade made by the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals traded with the Oakland Raiders, moving from No. 15 to 10th, in order to select UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen.
NFL.com’s Peter Schrager nailed it on April 23, but his predicted price of the trade was much higher than it actually was.
Arizona trades the 15th and 47th overall picks to move up five spots for their quarterback of the future. From Day One of this process, Rosen has been viewed as the purest passer of the bunch. If he’s the fourth quarterback taken, he’ll use that to fuel him for the rest of his career.
The Cardinals, actually, would only give up the Nos. 79 and 152 picks in the deal with the Raiders to move up.
ESPN’s Todd McShay released his final mock draft the day of the draft and also hit on the prediction.
Another trade! Arizona doesn’t have to give up nearly as much to move up five spots and get ahead of Miami for a QB. Rosen is the most natural thrower of the football in this class and gives the Cardinals a QB to build around.
McShay also had the Bills trading up to draft Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, which did happen, but he thought it would happen at No. 5 and not No. 7.
