Arizona Cardinals 2019 NFL Draft: Who is Deionte Thompson?

The Arizona Cardinals continue to select the best player available, this time by drafting former Alabama safety Deionte Thompson with the No. 139 overall pick.

Once in contention to be the first safety selected, Deionte Thompson slid to the fifth round, where the Arizona Cardinals again, got a steal at pick No. 139 overall. Although the team currently has Budda Baker and D.J. Swearinger at the safety positions, don’t be surprised to see Thompson on the field early and often.

Weighing in at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Thompson will need to bulk up before he hits an NFL playing field. However, he’s not going to be a box safety for the Cardinals, he’s a free safety through-and-through, which means he’ll ultimately see looks in the dime, and nickel defenses as the last line of defense early on in his career.

In terms of pure talent, Thompson is one of the elite safeties in the 2019 draft class. He’s rangy, knows how to read a quarterback’s eyes, and is one of the more athletic prospects out there. Pro Football Focus graded the safety highly as he earned an 88.6 coverage grade 80.8 run defense grade in 2018.

Per PFF, Thompson allowed just .53 yards per cover snap, which ranks 35th in the class. He also allowed a reception in every 26.58 snaps, good for 24th in the class. In 2018 alone, the Alabama product tallied 77 total tackles, 18 run-stops, and three pass deflections, per PFF.

However, despite being tall, talented, and athletic, Thompson fell to the fifth due to some apparent red-flags. His game was inconsistent while at Alabama and struggled in the College Football National Championship. He also needs to bulk up, and most importantly, has some knee concerns.

With that being said, the Cardinals got excellent value at No. 139 in Deionte Thompson. Although he has apparent weaknesses, Thompson is a playmaker. In one year of starting play at Alabama, Thompson created a highlight reel that most players can’t build in four years of play.

Ultimately, the Cardinals look to be an ideal pairing for the Alabama product. Instead of starting right away, as he would’ve on other teams, Thompson will be able to bulk up and rehab his knee while Budda Baker and D.J. Swearinger hold down the safety positions. If he does develop properly, there’s no reason as to why Thompson won’t be a star later down the line.

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