The Arizona Cardinals have had their share of successes and failures with the NFL draft under general manager Steve Keim. They haven’t gotten great production from any of their first-round picks since 2013. However, they have hit with a few players in later rounds.
But who have been the worst picks the Cardinals have made since 2013?
OL Dorian Johnson (2017, 4th round)
Normally, fourth-round picks are tossups to stick in the league at best. However, the Cardinals completely wasted this Day 3 pick in 2017 on Johnson. He had health concerns that took him off multiple teams’ draft board. He had bad athletic testing. However, many viewed him as a plug-and-play starter at guard. He did not even make the team and never played an NFL game.
CB Brandon Williams (2016, 3rd round)
The Cardinals drafted Williams in the third round in 2016 after he played only one season of cornerback in college. He was originally a running back who couldn’t find playing time.
He was a project at cornerback and, while starting at the position for the first two weeks of his career, he was benched and has not cracked the playing rotation since, except for multiple injuries on the team.
He has been a core special teams player, but he has turned out to be a lesser Justin Bethel, but Bethel was a Pro Bowl special teams player, something Williams is not, and Bethel was drafted in the sixth round.
QB Logan Thomas (2014, 4th round)
The Cardinals lauded Thomas as a guy who potentially could develop into a franchise quarterback. They loved his arm strength and playmaking ability. Historically, the Cardinals have had some bad quarterbacks have to start. When injuries forced Thomas to be the starter his rookie season, he didn’t even last an hour of practice before he was benched in favor of Ryan Lindley, who was historically bad when he was a starter.
He completed one pass for the Cardinals, although it went for a touchdown.
Thomas was cut the next season. He is still in the league but had to change positions to tight end.
TE Troy Niklas (2014, 2nd round)
The physical specimen was supposed to be a very good tight end. He was going to be a great blocker and reliable receiver. He couldn’t stay healthy, was not a reliable blocker and only caught 19 career passes. He never played again after his contract expired with the Cardinals.
OL Jonathan Cooper (2013, 1st round)
Cooper was Keim’s very first draft pick. He was compared to Hall of Fame guards. Then he broke his leg in his first preseason game and was lost for his rookie season. He was never the same. He struggled with injuries and, even when healthy, ended up on the ground a lot. He moved well but didn’t block guys.
He was traded to the New England Patriots, who cut him. He was later cut by the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. It is 2019 and he never played a full 16-game season, although he did seem to find a niche in 2018 with the Washington Redskins.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
