Cardinals end Deionte Thompson's slide at top of 5th

The Arizona Cardinals have selected safety Deionte Thompson out of Alabama in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 139th overall.

Thompson was widely considered a potential Day 2 pick, but was off several teams' draft boards due to a degenerative knee condition, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

While the former Crimson Tide standout has the range to play free safety, he needs to learn to be more disciplined. With the duo of Budda Baker and D.J. Swearinger locked in as starters, Thompson likely acts as Arizona's third safety.

School: Alabama
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195 lbs

Strengths

• Rangy single-high safety
• Burst and speed to go sideline to sideline or fly downhill
• Processes play well and makes great breaks on throws
• Feel for how routes are developing in front of him
• Ball skills to turn reads into turnovers
• Physicality to step up and make plays in running game

Weaknesses

• Thin frame a concern for physical play style
• Questions about athleticism went unanswered without predraft testing
• Takes some poor angles to ball and doesn't finish consistently
• Won't have versatility to rotate down and line up in man coverage

Bottom line

Thompson's most impressive trait is his sideline-to-sideline range from a single-high safety spot. Having a player who processes the passing game so well from the back end is a major advantage in an increasingly pass-heavy league, so the Alabama standout should have an important role on a defense from Day 1. His physical style creates somewhat of a concern given his slight frame, and he'll need to clean up the pursuit angles and overall tackling efficiency if he's to maximize his value.

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