Arizona Cardinals 5 best draft picks all-time

4. Patrick Peterson

It speaks to how bad the Arizona Cardinals were in the 90’s and early 2000’s when two of their best draft picks have from 2011 and on. However in 2011, the NFL had what will probably be one of their most talented drafts in the history of the league.

Names like Cam Newton, J.J. Watt and Von Miller highlighted the draft. With the No. 5 pick in the draft, there was a strong chance that the Cardinals were going to hit a home run. Despite the fact that Rod Graves had several draft busts in his time as a general manager, he did have the occasional great pick in his tenure as general manager.

While Graves did terrible in rounds two through seven in 2011, he hit a home run with his first round pick in Patrick Peterson. In his first year in the league, Peterson tied the league record for punt return touchdowns in a season with four and was a dynamic player defensively.

He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons and he’s been an All-Pro cornerback three times as well. He’s a shutdown cornerback and he faces off with the No. 1 wide receiver each and every single week of the season.

He’s also a committed individual that strives to get better each and every season. Playing alongside his best friend Tyrann Mathieu, the Cardinals have the best secondary that they have had in franchise history.

Next: 3. Adrian Wilson