The Arizona Cardinals had a lot of work to do in the 2023 NFL Draft after a disappointing 2022 campaign. They certainly were busy early on during Day 1, and have continued to address some of their biggest needs throughout the draft. Of course, the Cardinals are going to spend much of the beginning of the season anxiously awaiting the return of star quarterback Kyler Murray.
Murray tore his ACL in the Cardinals Week 14 contest against the New England Patriots, and he almost certainly won't be ready for Week 1 of the season. This isn't totally surprising, but what is surprising is that the Cardinals opted to potentially compensate for Murray's absence by drafting quarterback Clayton Tune in the fifth round of the draft.
And there goes another QB: Houston’s Clayton Tune heads to the #Cardinals at No. 139. pic.twitter.com/08VP4yyawY
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 29, 2023
Tune posted the best season of his collegiate career in 2022 with Houston (334/496, 4074 YDS, 40 TD, 10 INT) but was always going to be a Day 3 pick that a team would take a flier on. However, with Murray set to miss the beginning of the season, Tune could actually end up challenging for the starting job in Week 1 if he is able to put together a strong body of work during training camp.
Chances are Tune won't end up being the Week 1 starter, but crazier things have certainly happened in the NFL before, and Arizona likely wouldn't have drafted him had they been totally opposed to Tune potentially being forced into action for them. Tune likely won't be playing for the Cardinals anytime soon, but his development is certainly something to keep an eye on, especially given all the drama that has surrounded Murray over the past few seasons.
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