It happens every draft. Someone who is a really good football player falls on draft day, a fortunate team waits patiently and takes advantage.
It appears in 2014 it could be the Minnesota Vikings with the selection of Teddy Bridgewater. 2013 saw Sheldon Richardson make it down to the New York Jets at 13 while Le'Veon Bell made it to the Pittsburgh Steelers pick at 48.
This year, well it could be a number of prospects, but one has been mentioned recently that makes me wonder, could the Arizona Cardinals pull the trigger at 24 if Marcus Mariota falls?
Speculation last year was that Bruce Arians thought Blake Bortles was the long term answer at quarterback for the Cardinals, allegedly enough to trade up to get him. Those reports will never be able to be confirmed, but that thought makes you wonder if the Cardinals brass has a similar feeling about a Mariota fall.
Why should they pull the trigger?
The obvious answer is the Cardinals need a franchise quarterback and Mariota could be that answer. The biggest concern that many, myself included, have with Mariota is about his transition from Oregon's offense to a boring NFL passing attack. How long could that take? Well, for the Cardinals they have a built in two years cushion, thanks to Carson Palmer's new contract.
Moreover, having a young quarterback in place for 2017 and beyond is what sustainable success looks like (all of this assuming Mariota figures it out).
Why not?
If you subscribe to the theory that first round picks should have immediate impact, then you'd hate the idea of Mariota.
There's the bust rate at quarterback obviously and the threat that Mariota is another in a LONG line of busts for the Cardinals, but you can't be afraid to draft a player or position because of past failures.
He is not the prototype Arians quarterback, which is interesting. If you subscribe to this idea, I can't disagree with you, but it may have cost them last year with Bridgewater.
Finally, maybe you just don't think Mariota is very good, and if that's your stance, I can get behind that idea, even if I don't agree.
The likelihood of Mariota falling to 24 may be slim, but if it happened, I wonder what the Cardinals would do.
What would you do?