Welcome to draft week.
Three days separate us from Commissioner Roger Goodell stepping to the podium on a Nashville stage to announce the No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Arizona Cardinals, holder of that top pick, are in final preparations for that moment.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that Cardinals brass -- GM Steve Keim, coach Kliff Kingsbury and owner Michael Bidwill -- will have a final meeting over the next couple of days to discuss their options at No. 1, per sources informed of the team's plans.
Rapoport adds that the Cardinals have received feeler calls from teams inquiring about trading up as well.
It's been widely assumed for months that the Cards are plotting to draft Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray. If that is the plan, the question then turns to what becomes of incumbent Josh Rosen -- and what realistically could Arizona get back in a trade of the QB.
If it turns out all the assumptions about the Cards pairing Murray with Kingsbury have been false, then the entire complexion of Thursday's draft changes. A team that previously thought it had no shot at acquiring Murray would all of a sudden see the door open.
The Cards brass has played the entire process close to the vest -- to the detriment of Rosen most of all. This week's meeting should solidify the team's plans with the top pick.
Whether Arizona goes with Murray, a defender or finds an intriguing trade offer to help rebuild a Swiss-cheese roster, the suspense regarding the top choice builds as we barrel towards Thursday night.
*Watch the NFL Draft opening round, Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, live on NFL Network. *
