The Arizona Cardinals made a move for their franchise quarterback.
The Cards traded up to the No. 10 overall pick to snag UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen.
Arizona sent the No. 15 pick, a 3rd-round pick (No. 79) and a fifth-round selection (No. 152) to the Oakland Raiders for the right to take the signal-caller.
Staring at a QB room with Sam Bradford coming off a precarious knee injury and clipboard holder Mike Glennon, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim made his move for his quarterback of the future. Given the prices for QB trades last season, Keim didn't give up a ton to snag his new passer (keeping both his second-round pick and next year's first).
Rosen is the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft and the best natural thrower. A former tennis player, Rosen has great footwork, mechanics, poise, accuracy, and gets through his progression. The 6-foot-4 quarterback has ideal size and has the best football IQ of any quarterback in this draft.
That intelligence could have caused him to fall a bit after some scouts were concerned about his passion for football -- a ridiculous notion on the face of it. Rosen was the fourth QB off the board Thursday night after Baker Mayfield (No. 1), Sam Darnold (No. 3), and Josh Allen (No. 7).
Knocking Rosen for durability concerns after several injuries, including concussions, at UCLA is a more legitimate gripe. Adding him to the ever-injured Bradford could be the perfect storm of catastrophe waiting to happen.
If he stays healthy, however, Rosen owns the talent to become the best quarterback in his draft. If Bradford wins the starting gig in training camp, the Cardinals could use that as an opportunity to smooth out some of Rosen's rough edges. History tells us top-10 quarterbacks rarely sit long, however.
Throwing to future Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald every day will only help quicken Rosen's progression.
After all the scrutiny in the lead up to the draft, Rosen has a large chip on his shoulder and is ready to compete for the starting gig right off the bat.
"I'm just excited. I just want to get on the field," he told NFL Network's Deion Sanders. "I want to play ball and I want to compete."
The Cardinals entered the offseason with zero quarterbacks under contract following Carson Palmer's retirement. After Thursday night, they've identified their future signal-caller.
