McCown had an impressive performance at the NFL Combine, which saw him post a 40-yard dash in the mid-4-second range, a 10-foot long jump, and a -inch vertical jump. One scout who attended the combine said, "He could be the third quarterback taken or the eighth quarterback." McCown was rated the sixth-best quarterback in the 2002 NFL Draft by NFLDraftScout.com. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft, with the 81st overall pick, and was the fourth quarterback selected. Dave McGinnis, the head coach of the Cardinals when McCown was drafted, later stated, "[McCown] had all the background essentials you really liked. And he's a fabulous athlete. If you were going to start a pickup basketball game in the building, he'd be one of your first choices." McCown played for the Cardinals from 2002 to 2005.
