The Cardinals use the 13th pick in the NFL draft on Temple linebacker Haason Reddick, hoping Reddick’s versatility will shore up a defense that struggled last season.
Thirteen has occasionally been Arizona’s lucky charm, a number proudly worn by Steve Nash and Kurt Warner.
Thirteen hasn’t always worked out for the Cardinals, the slot they used to draft Michael Floyd in 2012 and four other players from 1941-68. Haason Reddick better be the exception. “He has an eternal chip that sits on his shoulder,” Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim said. “He’ll be ready (from the moment he arrives) at baggage claim.”
Reddick is a great story. He’s a tough kid from New Jersey. He walked on at Temple as a defensive back. He earned a scholarship. He dominated this past season as a hybrid defensive end. He gives the Cardinals
the flexibility they crave on defense.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians went so far as to reluctantly compare him to Broncos superstar Von Miller.
“We love two-for-one players,” Arians said. “He will have a huge impact in a lot of different positions.”
Keim’s elation must be tempered with his firstround failures in the past. He selected Jonathan Cooper with a seventh overall pick, only to find a weak-minded player that lacked toughness. Floyd showed serious character issues in 2016 and was jettisoned after a DUI arrest in Scottsdale. As a rookie in 2016, Robert Nkemdiche struggled with the professionalism required to make a difference in the NFL.
Reddick is a different animal. His toughness will not be questioned. His internal drive seems beyond reproach. The Cardinals had their pick of numerous defensive standouts, from safety Malik Hooker to defensive end Jonathan Allen. And yet Keim called Reddick “an easy choice.”
On draft day, it’s easy to believe in words and limitless potential. You never know how college kids will adjust to one of the most violent professions on the planet. Very few of them enter the league prepared to dominate from the first snap.
But it’s worth nothing that a defensive player from Temple was off the board before a defensive player from Alabama.
The Cardinals’ options were narrowed considerably by the preceding selections. Keim loathes moving up in the draft, a pricey philosophy that generally requires trading a handful of future assets. He watched as the best offensive talent disappeared.
Three teams traded up to select quarterbacks. Mitchell Trubisky was taken by the Bears with the second overall pick, prompting many Chicago fans to throw up their hands in disbelief. And after baby-faced Pat Mahomes landed with the Chiefs, we all witnessed a strange twist of fate.
Earlier in the offseason, the Browns helped the Texans with their quarterback dilemma by taking Brock Osweiler off their hands in a suspect trade. And the Browns helped again on Thursday night, allowing the Texans to trade up and select Watson
Despite a glaring need for another impact player to catch passes opposite Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals sat patiently as the three best wide receivers (Corey Davis, Mike Williams and John Ross) were selected in the first nine picks. There was nowhere to go but defense.
The Cardinals deserve credit for avoiding temptation. Trubisky was on Keim’s wish list months ago, but moving up that far would’ve required a huge sacrifice. Far from a sure thing, the North Carolina product wasn’t worth that kind of risk.
The run on quarterbacks was also predictable, if somewhat disorienting. In December, many talent evaluators believed no college quarterbacks were worthy of a first-round grade. But after starting only 13 games in his college career, Trubisky’s technique, athleticism and arm strength changed the dynamics. Watson won a national championship with Clemson, showing great poise and productivity on the big stage. And Mahomes wowed scouts during workouts, throwing 65yard passes from his knees.
They are all risky picks, the kind that can get head coaches fired.
In the end, the Cardinals selected the best defensive player on their board. They get points for strategy and conviction, for adhering to their win-now mentality, for not caving to the pressure of finding Carson Palmer’s replacement in the first round. Let’s just hope their latest firstround pick can make an impact as a rookie, something we haven’t seen in Arizona for some time.
“I’m just determined to be the best I can be,” Reddick said. “I’m not going to let anything get in the way of that.”
No doubt, Reddick said all the right things. First-round picks always do. Let’s hope the kid who let nothing stop him and took nothing for granted in college will feel the same way about his professional career.