Way too early 2026 NFL Draft prospect watch

Harry

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I’ll agree on the too early. Lots of stuff will chsnge once the contact starts. Just don’t like Allar. I don’t think he processes fast enough, which is why they limit his exposure. I think NFL DCs would drive him crazy. I don’t see the Cards trading down. They’ve got depth. They need impact players.
 

ajcardfan

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All the talk will be about Allar, Manning and Klubnik. But, keep an eye on Nussmeier from LSU and a kid named Mendoza who was under the radar playing for Cal last year. He was the most accurate passer in the nation and has a big arm. He transferred to Indiana.
 

Krangodnzr

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All the talk will be about Allar, Manning and Klubnik. But, keep an eye on Nussmeier from LSU and a kid named Mendoza who was under the radar playing for Cal last year. He was the most accurate passer in the nation and has a big arm. He transferred to Indiana.
LaNorris Sellers. He's about to be a true junior and if he has a big year, the only QB that will go over him is Manning, and even that is debatable since Manning hasn't played.
 

ajcardfan

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LaNorris Sellers. He's about to be a true junior and if he has a big year, the only QB that will go over him is Manning, and even that is debatable since Manning hasn't played.
Yes, you are right, he could pop up to the top. But his eligibility is he will be a Sophomore so if he doesn't excel he will probably wait another year for another class where he would unquestionably (assuming things go well) be one of the top two draftees.

These kids are getting so much NIL money now there really isn't the rush to enter the draft ASAP anymore. (Ex - Carson Beck)
 

DVontel

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All the talk will be about Allar, Manning and Klubnik. But, keep an eye on Nussmeier from LSU and a kid named Mendoza who was under the radar playing for Cal last year. He was the most accurate passer in the nation and has a big arm. He transferred to Indiana.
I’d argue Nussmeier was getting the most talk out of all those names until the A&M game where it went downhill from there.
 

ajcardfan

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I’d argue Nussmeier was getting the most talk out of all those names until the A&M game where it went downhill from there.
He might well have been at that time. The second half of that game was a disaster. But going into this year Allar is the shining star.
 

Sparky16

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Murray's going to have to play pretty poorly to for the organization to hit the eject button on him after this year.

Not saying it's impossible we win three games and draft the top three, but overall the offense was pretty decent last year, and the defense will be much better this year. Much better. It's more likely we win 10 games than three.

What's more likely:

1. Cardinals win 10 games in 2025, Murray plays "meh" (similar to 2024) and then for 2026 we take a big cap hit by releasing K1, use a ton of draft capital to move into the top five, and risk everything on the 2nd or 3rd best QB?

2. Cardinals win 10 games, Murray plays "meh" and we run it back one more year with him as our QB1. In the next FA and draft we go all in on offense?

Under the 2nd scenario, Murray gets one last year to prove himself (I know, Stout, I know) with probably the best supporting cast since 2021. But, if in 2026 K1 keeps playing just well enough to get us beat, then Monti can make some kind of move to draft a QBOF, keeping the cap intact, and bringing in the new kid on a rookie contract and, most importantly, in to a ready made situation where he's likely to succeed.

Stout I want you to get excited about Kyler Murray being your QB1 for the next 34 - 38 games (depending on if we make the playoffs)! :)
Murray is trash - and he will prove it AGAIN. The Cards would be crazy to not pick from the pool of QBs that could declare next year. You could get a top 3 QB in most drafts next year in picks from 10-15 because of the legit prospects this year
 

Krangodnzr

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Yes, you are right, he could pop up to the top. But his eligibility is he will be a Sophomore so if he doesn't excel he will probably wait another year for another class where he would unquestionably (assuming things go well) be one of the top two draftees.

These kids are getting so much NIL money now there really isn't the rush to enter the draft ASAP anymore. (Ex - Carson Beck)
You are right...he's a redshirt sophomore this year.

Still only 20 !!!

He has a way to go as a passer but he is incredibly dynamic as a runner. If Jalen Hurts can be a borderline star, Sellers could be a superstar. I've never seen a bigger QB run like he can, he's a more shifty, faster Cam Newton.
 

Crimson Warrior

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Murray is trash - and he will prove it AGAIN. The Cards would be crazy to not pick from the pool of QBs that could declare next year. You could get a top 3 QB in most drafts next year in picks from 10-15 because of the legit prospects this year

Overall K1 is not trash, obviously.

If you say he's trash in the clutch, okay, I won't argue. He was horrifying when it counted most this past season. Could not have been worse.

Anyway, to your point about drafting a QB. Again, I think we'll likely be drafting in the early 20s to start off. And, unless we're able to trade Murray after this offseason (unlikely), it would be really inefficient from a cap perspective to release him.

So then, we would have to burn a significant amount of draft and cap resources to bring in a rookie QB, and not the top rookie at that. That really doesn't seem like MO's style. At all.

I know his detractors hate to hear it, but even if Kyler does not meet expectations in 2025, he'll likely get the 2026 season to make a last stand in ARZ.

What might change the scenario is if we only win six games or so, and are drafting top ten. Then.. maybe.
 

Krangodnzr

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Overall K1 is not trash, obviously.

If you say he's trash in the clutch, okay, I won't argue. He was horrifying when it counted most this past season. Could not have been worse.

Anyway, to your point about drafting a QB. Again, I think we'll likely be drafting in the early 20s to start off. And, unless we're able to trade Murray after this offseason (unlikely), it would be really inefficient from a cap perspective to release him.

So then, we would have to burn a significant amount of draft and cap resources to bring in a rookie QB, and not the top rookie at that. That really doesn't seem like MO's style. At all.

I know his detractors hate to hear it, but even if Kyler does not meet expectations in 2025, he'll likely get the 2026 season to make a last stand in ARZ.

What might change the scenario is if we only win six games or so, and are drafting top ten. Then.. maybe.
It's crazy because Murray will be arguably the best QB in Arizona Cardinals history.

I think Murray would have to really crap the bed to not be the QB in 2026.
 

Harry

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It's crazy because Murray will be arguably the best QB in Arizona Cardinals history.

I think Murray would have to really crap the bed to not be the QB in 2026.
I guess you need to define best if you’re going to argue it’s Murray.
 

Stout

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It's crazy because Murray will be arguably the best QB in Arizona Cardinals history.

I think Murray would have to really crap the bed to not be the QB in 2026.
Unless he somehow manages to win the big one, he will never be the best QB in Card's history.

Let's hope he doesn't crap the bed hard enough to jettison in the offseason.
 

schutd

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GD it, that first sentence makes me so angry. Can't anyone write anymore? Has every editor in the history of sports writing been fired? Are high school content creators being given forum to post their sophomoric isht wherever they please? No, Yes, Yes, Yes.
 

oaken1

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GD it, that first sentence makes me so angry. Can't anyone write anymore? Has every editor in the history of sports writing been fired? Are high school content creators being given forum to post their sophomoric isht wherever they please? No, Yes, Yes, Yes.
disastrous use of the Oxford comma.
 

Russ Smith

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Not even close, Warner & Palmer are far better than what the midget has ever done

It just depends how long someone has to play for us to be considered the best all time. Warner has it for getting us to the Super Bowl, Palmer had us really good for a few years. Palmer played 60 games as a Card I guess that's long enough? Warner played 61, not counting playoffs for either guy. Before them it would have been Jim Hart or Neil Lomax.

I would say right now it has to be Kurt just because of post season success.
 

oaken1

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It just depends how long someone has to play for us to be considered the best all time. Warner has it for getting us to the Super Bowl, Palmer had us really good for a few years. Palmer played 60 games as a Card I guess that's long enough? Warner played 61, not counting playoffs for either guy. Before them it would have been Jim Hart or Neil Lomax.

I would say right now it has to be Kurt just because of post season success.
Kurt took us to within a ******** call of a Lombardi.
He is da man.
 
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