The Arizona Cardinals officially have the starting quarterback they have been looking for. The team acquired veteran Carson Palmer from the Oakland Raiders with the intention that he will be the new franchise quarterback. Now, they must re-work their entire draft plan. Many experts believed the Cardinals would consider drafting a quarterback with their top pick, now it is reported they are pursuing Alabama's Chance Warmack in the draft.
Arizona will draft No. 7 over in the upcoming draft. With defense being the focus of many teams, they should be able to land Warmack easily. The former Alabama guard is believed to be one of the top overall players in this draft class. Head coach Bruce Arians has the intentions of building his team from the inside out and that starts with a talented line. Both Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher, two highly scouted linemen, will likely be off the board by the seventh pick, leaving Warmack as the best option.
The Cardinals must piece together a decent line if they have any hope of Palmer being successful. Warmack has the stats to be a starter right away at Arizona. While he ran a slow 5.49 time in the 40-yard dash, his game tape proves he is worthy of a top pick. Warmack only committed two penalties in a total of 805 offensive snaps last season. He started all 40 games in his three years playing for Alabama, allowing only 3.5 sacks in 315 passing attempts. He is shorter that the other guard prospects, but playing for one of the top college programs in the nation helped his draft stock. He has proved to be a hard worker and extremely durable.
If Warmack is selected in the top ten picks of the draft it will be a page in history. Only four guards have been selected in the first round of the last three drafts. The last time a guard was selected in the top 10 was 1997 when the New Orleans Saints drafted Chris Naeole 10th overall. Draft experts believe the team that selects Warmack will not have to worry about the left tackle position for possibly 10 years.
With a newly acquired starting quarterback, a good offensive line will be key for Arizona. They are said to be highly interested in Warmack after being impressed with both his combine and Pro Day workouts.