Quinnen Williams may end up with Arizona Cardinals after all
By Jim Koch
The third-overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft would be an excellent addition to an improving Arizona Cardinals defense
The 2019 NFL Draft was an intriguing one for the Arizona Cardinals. Armed with the first-overall pick, general manager Steve Keim and his comrades were faced with an incredibly difficult decision. Should the Cards grab a quarterback who’s a perfect fit for Kliff Kingsbury‘s “Air Raid” offense, or select a stud defensive end who could make coordinator Vance Joseph‘s job a whole lot easier?
As we all know by now, dual-threat signal-caller Kyler Murray became Arizona’s selection on that exciting April evening. The two defenders who were passed over by Keim, Nick Bosa and Quinnen Williams, were taken off of the board shortly thereafter. Now, more than a year later, there’s talk that Williams could still make his way onto the Cardinals roster.
According to the scuttlebutt, the Cards may have interest in acquiring Williams from the New York Jets. The league’s trade deadline is this coming Tuesday, and there’s reason to believe that Keim may be looking to make a deal. With that in mind, there are pro football writers who feel that Williams could very well be on Arizona’s wish list.
It’s been said that Cardinals front office, Keim in particular, were enamored with Williams in the weeks leading up to the ’19 draft. The 6’3, 303 pounder was a huge star at the University of Alabama, and experts felt that he would excel at the professional level as well. The Cards had been searching for a dominant defensive end ever since 2017, the year that the great Calais Campbell signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Williams got off to a rocky start with the Jets last fall, totaling just 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 13 appearances (nine starts) for the team. In seven games thus far in 2020, the 22-year old has already recorded 28 tackles and three sacks for the club. Williams looks far more comfortable this season than he did during his rookie campaign with New York last year.
Next. Cardinals could end up with top defensive end. dark
The talented Williams was a popular prospect in Arizona’s “war room” during the ’19 draft. Murray was well worth the investment, but it doesn’t change the fact that Williams was also highly-coveted. If the rumors turn out to be true, the acquisition of the Jets defensive end will come to fruition after all.