April 6, 2026, 8:58 p.m. MT
In the NFL draft, teams will end up selecting a mix of players they hope will be able to immediately contribute, while some are meant to develop.
Granted, developmental players are generally not selected early in the draft. They are usually late Round 3 and later.
SI.com’s Justin Melo matched each NFL team with their ideal developmental prospect. For the Arizona Cardinals, it was a quarterback.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
The Arizona Cardinals aren’t going to draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall. Taking a mid-round swing on a naturally gifted quarterback like Garrett Nussmeier would be a worthwhile experiment for new head coach Mike LaFleur. Nussmeier threw 29 touchdowns as a junior before injury and coaching struggles derailed his senior campaign. There’s a talented signal caller in there.
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Nussmeier would make a decent pick on Day 3, assuming he lasts that long. The Cardinals don’t have a quarterback under contract after 2026. At minimum, he can be a guy who is already in the building in 2027 knowing the offense. If lightning strikes, he is a diamond in the rough.
He certainly has the quarterback traits, although he did throw a lot of interceptions in 2024. There was a time before last season that some believed he could be the No. 1 pick in this draft.
If he is a Day 3 pick and only becomes a backup for a few years, that is still a good use of a Day 3 selection.
We will see if this ends up happening.
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