Unless you've been working all night, you already know that the Arizona Cardinals selected Patrick Peterson, cornerback out of LSU, with the fifth pick in the 2011 NFL Draft on Thursday night. This pick has been highly praised by those who follow the team.
SB Nation's LSU blog, And The Valley Shook, didn't think that Peterson would fall below the third spot in the draft. They viewed him as "the safest choice with the highest floor," comparing him to Ndamukong Suh.
Baring injury, he'll be good enough to keep drawing NFL paychecks as a corner or a safety. If he meets his potential you just picked up the best defensive back and return guy on the planet. He is the best player in this draft.
Our Arizona Cardinals blog, Revenge Of The Birds, feels good about the pick as well:
...We have shades of 2004, when the Cardinals took Larry Fitzgerald with the third pick overall when they already had a solid wide receiver and many other needs. Arizona now has needs at quarterback, on the offensive line and in the linebacking corp, but Peterson was by far the best player available.
At 6' tall and 219 pounds, Peterson is a huge cornerback. Many project him as a safety in the NFL, but he could still pan out as a great corner in the league. ESPN has marked him as "obviously the best player available" to the Cardinals at fifth overall.
Todd McShay of ESPN had some glowing words for Peterson:
For more on Patrick Peterson, check back here at SB Nation Arizona over the next few days. We'll be covering all of Arizona's picks in the draft. Next up? Finding a rookie QB or a quality defensive end, such as Da'Quan Bowers.