Baylor's Bryce Petty (left) and Oregon State's Sean Mannion (right) are among the quarterbacks who will be drafted after the big two of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.
The NFL draft will be held from April 30 through May 2 in Chicago. The Cardinals addressed several needs in free agency and are now zeroing in on their draft targets. We'll take a look at each position over the next few weeks.
Draft primer: Quarterback
Cardinals under contract: Carson Palmer; Drew Stanton; Logan Thomas; Chandler Harnish
Need: Low
Images of the quarterbacks projected to get drafted
Florida State QB Jameis Winston: projected first-rounder (No. 1 overall)
Oregon QB Marcus Mariota: Projected first-rounder (top-5)
UCLA QB Brett Hundley: Projected second-rounder
Baylor QB Bryce Petty: Projected third-rounder
Colorado State QB Garrett Grayson: Projected fourth-rounder
Oregon State QB Sean Mannion: Projected fifth-rounder
South Alabama QB Brandon Bridge: Projected sixth-rounder
Washington State QB Connor Halliday: Projected sixth-rounder
Nevada QB Cody Fajardo: Projected seventh-rounder
Analysis: The Cardinals picked up a developmental quarterback last year in fourth-rounder Logan Thomas, and the chances are nil Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota falls to them at No. 24. Coach Bruce Arians called the rest of the quarterback class 'average at best' and while he wouldn't rule out selecting a signal-caller, Arians said it wasn't likely to happen.
The top two names which should be on the board when the Cardinals draft in the first round are UCLA's Brett Hundley and Baylor's Bryce Petty, but neither are expected to go that high. Hundley was reportedly in for a visit, but it's unknown if or in what round the team would consider choosing him. It seems unlikely the Cardinals draft a quarterback in one of the final rounds because they would still like to see if Thomas can make strides this offseason.
When Carson Palmer restructured his contract last month, it virtually guaranteed he will remain the quarterback through at least 2016, and likely 2017. If the Cardinals aren't enamored with any of the options in the draft, they can easily fill other positions with their selections because they have time to address the position. However, if they choose a quarterback prospect, it will show a willingness to move on from Thomas – Drew Stanton would assumedly remain the backup – and give the rookie time to develop as Palmer handles the reins the next few years.
