There are lots of question marks about the top quarterbacks in this year's draft, and lots of enticing names at quarterback that could/should be available in the draft class of 2018. For a team like the Cardinals, who still have Carson Palmer, it's a question that percolates: Might it be better to spend draft capital in 2017 on immediate non-QB help and plan to go after a quarterback in 2018.
Nope.
"You can look ahead and say there are two or three that we have watched on tape that are fantastic," General Manager Steve Keim said of the potential 2018 QB class. "But if they are (picked) one, two or three in the draft, and I hope we are not picking anything but (number) 32, how are we going to get up there and get them? Even if we had 11 comp picks, that is not going to get it done."
Therein lies the biggest problem with any team thinking they can wait. A quality QB is going in the top 5 or top 10. The NFL doesn't do tanking like the NBA. The sure things in the draft are harder to know than in other sports. So the Cardinals are going to be prepared to draft a QB this year, and actually have a good situation to train one if they do.
Now a) that does not mean the Cardinals will definitely draft a quarterback or b) that they wouldn't still look at QB next year or even c) that they wouldn't take a franchise QB talent next year if one were to be there even if they did draft one this year. This is all a year-to-year proposition, folks. Because of that, QB is on the table in 2017, regardless of what better might be there in 2018.
"I just don't think you can rely on that," Keim said. "If you have a player you fell in love with, you take them."