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A Rundown Of The Cardinals' Late-Round Draft Picks

Safety Deionte Thompson the fifth-round choice

In this Nov. 10, 2018, file photo, Alabama defensive back Deionte Thompson (14) celebrates after Mississippi State place kicker Jace Christmann (47) missed a field goal-attempt during the first half of a game, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
In this Nov. 10, 2018, file photo, Alabama defensive back Deionte Thompson (14) celebrates after Mississippi State place kicker Jace Christmann (47) missed a field goal-attempt during the first half of a game, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The Cardinals were busy on Saturday, as they had a bevy of picks in the final four rounds of the draft. They chose wide receiver Hakeem Butler with the first pick of the fourth round. Here is a rundown of their late-round selections:

Fifth round (No. 139 overall): Deionte Thompson, safety, Alabama

The Cardinals added to their secondary with the choice of Thompson, an AP All-America safety from Alabama who may have slid in the draft due to injury concerns. Thompson had wrist surgery after the season and NFL Network reported he was off several teams' boards because of a degenerative knee condition.

"I heard the information just like everybody else did today," Thompson said.

Thompson said the issue may stem from surgery on a torn meniscus in 2017. Thompson was projected to go in the third round by NFL.com before news of the reported condition, but was still happy to be chosen by the Cardinals in the fifth.

"We're all having a good time down here in Orange, Texas," Thompson said. "Crawfish boil later today. If y'all can fly here from Arizona, we'd be delighted to have y'all."

Cardinals GM Steve Keim said the medical part can also be a projection, and that the team did not find any issues with Thompson's knee.

Sixth round (No. 174 overall): KeeSean Johnson, wide receiver, Fresno State

The Cardinals went with a receiver for the third time in the draft following the second-round pick of Andy Isabella and the fourth-round choice of Hakeem Butler. Johnson was ultra-productive his senior season with the Bulldogs, finishing with 95 catches for 1,340 yards and eight touchdowns.

The wide receiver group was a weakness for the Cardinals in 2018, and while the Cardinals did not have a master plan to go heavy at the position, the board fell that way. Johnson hopes to be a part of a strong aerial attack.

"We can be really good," Johnson said. "We've got Kyler Murray at quarterback. We've got three receivers we drafted, including myself. ... We're going to all come in and we're going to compete. We're just going to do whatever we can to help the team win more games."

Johnson, of course, has a name pronounced the same as former No. 1 overall pick Keyshawn Johnson, another wide receiver. KeeSean said he was not named after the other Johnson but has met him.

"My dad's name is Sean, and they didn't want a junior, but he wanted his name in there somehow, so they named me KeeSean," Johnson said. "I've talked to (Keyshawn Johnson) a few times, and he's a great person. At the same time, that's just my name, and I hope it turns into something big."

Sixth round (No. 179 overall): Lamont Gaillard, center, Georgia

The Cardinals added to their offensive line late in the draft, selecting the All-SEC center. Gaillard played guard as a sophomore before moving to center his final two seasons with the Bulldogs. He was happy the Cardinals chose him but expected to go a few rounds earlier.

"I think I'm the best center in the draft," Gaillard said. "But it's whatever God had in plan for me. He set me for this round and I'm grateful to come to this team, especially with the new quarterback and new system they've got coming up."

Gaillard is listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds. He is known for his toughness and ability to identify defensive stunts and blitzes, according to NFL.com pre-draft analysis.

"That's never been a hard problem for me," Gaillard said. "I've been at Georgia and that's what we do. That's what we've always done. We've picked up blitzes and always been ahead of the game pre-snap. That's a normal thing for me."

Seventh round (No. 248 overall): Joshua Miles, tackle, Morgan State

The Cardinals took a tackle in the seventh-round for the second straight year, adding the small-school product a year after drafting Korey Cunningham. Despite taking a less-conventional route to the NFL, Miles never doubted he would get there, promising his mother it would come to fruition at the age of 7.

"I'm just so happy that it happened," Miles said.

Keim said Miles' arm length really stood out, and that he has a good deal of potential.

"He's just scratching the surface," Keim said.

He roomed with Gaillard, the team's sixth-round pick, at the East-West Shrine Game and enjoyed his company. The duo will reunite in Arizona as they hope to add strength to the offensive line.

Seventh round (No. 249 overall): Michael Dogbe, defensive end, Temple

The Cardinals picked a second defensive end late in the draft. Dogbe had 72 tackles and seven sacks as a senior with the Owls and prides himself on his tenacity.

Dogbe is known as a weight room junkie, which he said helped him grow from 155 pounds in high school to 285 coming into the NFL. Dogbe reportedly bench-pressed 505 pounds at Temple.

"I've always been a weight room guy," he said.

Dogbe played at Temple with Cardinals inside linebacker Haason Reddick, the team's first-round pick in 2017.

"He's like a big brother to me," Dogbe said.

Images of the picks from rounds four through seven for the Cardinals in the 2019 draft

Seventh round (No. 254 overall): Caleb Wilson, tight end, UCLA

The Cardinals needed some depth at tight end and added an option with the final pick of the draft. Wilson said he began hearing some buzz in the sixth round that the Cardinals might be interested but it took until the last choice to get taken.

"It got a little scary at the end," Wilson said.

Wilson had 60 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. He said he is excited to join an intriguing offense.

"They throw the ball a lot, and that's my strong suit right now," he said.

As Mr. Irrelevant, Wilson will get a parade thrown in his honor, among other festivities. He is looking forward to it and plans to do more research about it.

"I embrace it," Wilson said. "All I needed was my name to get called."

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