NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals are perhaps the neediest team when it comes to quarterbacks. Their top two options, following the first wave of free agency, are Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon. One is historically injury prone, and the other signed an infamously invaluable contract last year.

Make no mistake: The Cardinals are in need of a quarterback, and if Josh Allen drops to No. 5 in the NFL Draft, there is at least a decent chance that they could trade up and pick him. It won’t come cheap, as other teams might be interested (I don’t expect Buffalo to like Josh Allen all too much, so the likely case is that Miami, or maybe Baltimore inquires about this pick).

Allen isn’t the most polished quarterback in this class. But there is no doubt that he has tantalizing potential. His arm is one of the biggest ever to hit the big stage, but as scouts will tell you, having a big arm isn’t even the first step toward becoming a successful quarterback.

Luckily for Allen, he has other things going for him as well. He is known to have the necessary intangibles to play the quarterback position, and he has very good athleticism for a 6-foot-5, 230 signal caller. A strong combine likely improved his stock, and the Arizona Cardinals won’t let a possible franchise quarterback slip out of their grasp. They’ll look to move on from Carson Palmer as quick as possible by picking Allen, and effectively ushering in the next era of Cardinals football.