Cardinals grab 2 CBs, add another LB, OL in draft
In Day 3 of the draft, the Arizona Cardinals mainly focused on defense. General Manager Steve Keim and coach Kliff Kingsbury finished their third draft together with seven new Cardinals.
Saturday brought one trade up, two cornerbacks and a few late picks. There was less film and other challenges, but Keim praised the scouting department’s adjustments.
“We feel very, very good, especially when you see the type of players we got and where we got them in the draft,” Keim said, specifically on the cornerbacks, both who were expected to be taken higher in the draft.
Fourth round (136): CB Marco Wilson, Florida
Entering Saturday without a fourthround pick, the Cardinals made some moves to get on the clock early in the day. They traded up into the fourth round to take cornerback Marco Wilson out of Florida with the 136th pick. As a Gator, he compiled 99 total tackles. He missed the bulk of the 2018 season, redshirting after tearing his ACL.
Wilson was one of just four true freshmen to start at cornerback in Florida history. He feels that can help him get immediately into the mix at the NFL level.
“I just feel like it makes you grow up really quickly. That threw me into a leadership position at a young age, at 18, in the biggest conference in college football,” he said. “So it made me grow up really fast. It made me have to make decisions that vets would have to make.”
There were some bumps after that; Wilson notably threw a shoe against LSU, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and from there, a loss. He now views it as a learning experience.
“I just learned that silly mistakes like that can affect not only just you, but a lot of people around you, so you’ve got to stay away from doing things like that,” he said.
If he feels like he has anything to prove, it stems more from where he was drafted. Wilson said he thinks he should have gone higher in the draft.
“I feel like my athletic ability is better than anybody in this class, but only time will tell that and show that,” he said.
The trade with the Ravens means that the Cardinals give up a fifth-rounder this year (160) and a fourth-rounder next year. The Cardinals received a fourth-rounder this year (136) and sixth-rounder this year (210).
Sixth round (210): LB Victor Dimukeje, Duke
With their first of two picks in the sixth round, Arizona Cardinals took linebacker Victor Dimukeje out of Duke.
Dimukeje started every game during his time at Duke (49 games), where he had 166 tackles, 36.0 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks and one interception.
“Just the repetition, getting more plays, understanding the defense and just consistency all around for my game,” he said. “All the playing time I got in college I feel will help me make a quick transition to the NFL.”
He sees himself fitting in as an outside linebacker with the Cardinals.
“I know how to use my hands, win off the power rush, set the edge on the run game, run with power and also knowing when to transition speed,” Dimukeje said. “Just an all-around smart player, I feel like that is my biggest attribute.”
Sixth round (223): CB Tay Gowan, UCF
UCF cornerback Tay Gowan had a more winding path to the NFL. He started at Miami University (Ohio), before transferring first to Butler Community College and then to UCF. He opted out of 2020, due to COVID-19. He does feel that affected his draft stock, but having a young daughter who was born prematurely, he decided opting out was the right choice for his family.
“I wanted to protect her,” he said. “She may not understand what I did for her, or what I did for us, really, but I hope one day she can look back and say she’s proud of her dad, and he made the right decision. Cause I ended up in a great place, and I’m so ready to work for the Cardinals.”
Now, he thinks that slide to the sixth round will serve as motivation.
“I feel like I will be the Tom Brady of the corners and I think I needed this in my journey and the way I will approach the game,” he said.
Seventh round (243): S James Wiggins, UCF
A safety who also prides himself on special teams, UCF--product James Wiggins is especially looking forward to getting to know one teammate: Budda Baker. Wiggins said Baker is one player he’s modeled his own game after.
“Just to be able to pick his brain and actually have the opportunity to do it in person, it’s kind of like seeing your superstar that you look up to,” he said. “And now that I can actually ask him questions like, ‘Hey, why did you do this? What did you see here?’ — I can mold that into my style of the game,” he said.
Wiggins missed 2019 with an ACL injury, and his 2018 campaign was particularly strong. In 2020, he had 32 tackles and an interception.
Seventh round (247): C Michal Menet, Penn State
With their last pick of the 2021 draft, the Cardinals took center Michal Menet, a two-time captain at Penn State. Though the team added center Rodney Hudson in March, Keim felt Menet was still the move.
“I think it’s one of those things where you can’t have enough offensive lineman,” Keim said.
Menet noted that he thinks Hudson is one of the best centers in the game. He also had the chance to hear from Penn State alum and former Cardinal A.Q. Shipley during his time in Happy Valley.