NFL Draft 2013: Arizona Cardinals Select Tyrann Mathieu

One of the most watched story-lines in the NFL Draft was what would happen to Tyrann Mathieu and where would he eventually go? We all knew he’d get picked eventually, but his draft party erupted when the Arizona Cardinals announced that they were selecting him 69th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft on Friday night.

It’s honestly a perfect fit for Mathieu, a guy who has been one of the most talked about prospects in the draft. But while most guys are talked about due to their skills, Mathieu’s been talked about thanks to his off-field issues. Mathieu was kicked off of the LSU Tigers back in August after failing numerous drug tests and many thought that he may never be able to rebound.

But Mathieu managed to redeem himself and while most teams took him off their draft boards, he ended up being the third round pick he was projected as being.

Arizona is an ideal landing spot for the troubled Mathieu, as he’ll be surrounded by stand-up role models and a slew of friends. Mathieu dated the step-daugther of Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and will be rejoining former LSU teammate Patrick Peterson who will be able to provide Mathieu with a much needed straight-edge friend in Arizona.

There is also the matter of Bruce Arians and Larry Fitzgerald, who are now the leaders of this new Cardinals era and are the perfect people to keep Mathieu in line.

Now that he has an NFL team, and finds himself in a position to defend against Percy Harvin and Tavon Austin twice a season, the question is will this support system in Arizona be able to keep Mathieu on the right path?