Cardinals select Houston QB at No. 139

Houston quarterback Clayton Tune is heading to the desert. The Cardinals are taking the multiyear Cougars starter at No. 139.

Tune’s arrival comes after Trace McSorley left for the Patriots and at a time in which the Cardinals are not certain who their Week 1 starting quarterback will be. Kyler Murray‘s status for the Arizona opener is very much in doubt, and Colt McCoy also missed the conclusion of the Cards’ 2022 season.

Murray is expected to make an early-season return from his December ACL tear, but the Cards’ franchise quarterback does not sound like he will be ready for Week 1. McCoy battled arm and calf issues, leading him to IR, but he resurfaced to replace Murray for two games prior to the latter’s ACL tear. McCoy sustained a concussion in Week 15, his third start of the season, and did not play again. The Cardinals cleared their backup from concussion protocol in Week 17, but McCoy experienced more symptoms during a practice soon after and finished the season out of action. McCoy is going into his age-37 season; one year remains on his contract.

While Murray and McCoy did not finish last season, the Cardinals do now have a crowded QB room. They recently signed Jeff Driskel, and David Blough is on Arizona’s offseason roster as well. Tune moves the position group to five.

ESPN’s Scouts Inc. ranked Tune as this year’s ninth-best QB prospect, ranking him 188th overall. The Cougars gunslinger posted a 40-touchdown pass, 10-interception season as a senior last year, throwing for 4,074 yards. This comes after a 30-10 year in 2021. Taking over for D’Eriq King with the American Athletic Conference school, Tune put up some nice numbers in helping the team to 20 wins over the past two years. Houston was a bit more successful in 2021, going 12-2. Tune will now see if he can crack the Cardinals’ 53-man roster.