Garrett Williams Selected by Cardinals - Fit, Grade and Scouting Report

With their first third-round pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals roll the dice on cornerback Garrett Williams from Syracuse. Here's what you need to know.

Author:
Richie Bradshaw
Publish date:
Apr 28, 2023 10:07 PM EDT

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Arizona Cardinals

Some may not be initially happy about this pick, but Monti Ossenfort has continued a productive 2023 NFL Draft in his first year as the Arizona Cardinals general manager with the selection of Garrett Williams with the 72nd overall pick.

Williams, who is rehabbing from an ACL injury, has some terrific ball skills and fits the mold of a top corner. If he had gotten the opportunity to play in 2022 there is little belief that he would've been available with the 72nd pick.

The Cardinals secondary is paper-thin at the moment, and cornerback was near the top of the team's laundry list of needs. Williams can be the top dog for this defense once he is back to full health.

The fit here is easy to see, as the Cardinals have lacked true top cornerback play since the days of Patrick Peterson. Arizona also recently lost cornerback Byron Murphy in free agency.

It is widely believed that Williams can be a number one corner at the next level even if he is somewhat undersized at 5'10" and lacks elite speed. The bottom line is the dude is a good football player and last I checked the Cardinals need a lot of those.

Joe Marino of The Draft Network had this to say in Williams' draft profile:

Williams is a physical and aggressive defender that exhibits an alpha mentality in everything he does on the football field. I love the way he triggers downhill, plays through contact, and finishes. He has the type of mindset and skill to be an asset at the next level in run support. There’s a lot to like about his movement skills and reactive athleticism. Williams is a twitched-up athlete with good short-area quickness, speed, and change of direction skills. I like his ability in zone coverage to cue the backfield and trigger. Williams is disruptive at the catch point and showcases the ability to play through the receiver’s hands to force incompletions while flashing the ability to take away the football. I wish he got more opportunities to play press coverage because he profiles as a standout. --Joe Marino

(Click for full TDN profile for Garrett Williams)

For me, this is a projection pick that you are making, but it isn't a massive gamble. We've seen Williams's potential an it should excite fans. We will surely be hoping to see him on the field sooner rather than later. Until then, this is great value for a potentially great player.