The 2020 NFL Draft starts on Thursday night and with it comes one of the most exciting times of the year fo many football fans.
There is simply so much commotion surrounding the event. Trades will be rumored left and right, and quite a few will actually happen. Teams will reach for players that no one expected to go as early as they do. Meanwhile, other players will fall down the draft board much further than anyone could have imagined.
Then there is the post-draft analysis. More specifically, looking back on drafts and realizing who the biggest busts and steals were.
Today, we're looking at the Arizona Cardinals. Who were the greatest NFL draft steals in the franchise's history? We try to figure it out.
5. Darnell Dockett
Arizona selected Darnell Dockett in the third round (64th overall) in the 2004 NFL Draft. He then went on to spend his entire 10-year career with the Cardinals.
In that time, Dockett became one of the most consistent pass rushers in the game. Not only that, but one of the best that the Cardinals ever had.
Dockett finished his career with 472 tackles (90 for loss) and 40.5 sacks. He also racked up four interceptions and 18 pass deflections, as well as nine forced fumbles, 14 fumble recoveries and two touchdowns.
As shown by the numbers, he could do it all. Dockett was very good against the pass, but was incredible at stopping the run and really made his money there.
He was a key part of their run at a Super Bowl in 2008 (three sacks and four tackles for loss) and consistently was one of the best players on the defense.
In his 10 years, Dockett made it to three Pro Bowls and was a member of the 2004 All-Rookie team.
Getting that kind of a career is worthy of a first-round draft pick, so it's easy to consider Dockett a big-time steal for the Cardinals in the third round.
4. Anquan Boldin
Spoiler alert: Anquan Boldin is the highest drafted player on this list. In fact, he barely made it out of the first round.
Boldin was taken in the second round with the 54th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. While that may not seem very early, Boldin was more than just a normal steal.
Despite being taken in Round 2, he can certainly be considered one of the biggest steals in the history of the Arizona franchise.
Five wide receivers were taken before him. Andre Johnson (third overall) is the only one to match Boldin's production. And even he had fewer receptions and touchdowns, although he did have about 400 more yards. Also taken ahead of Boldin were Charles Rogers, Bryant Johnson, Taylor Jacobs and Bethel Johnson.
All four were out of the NFL before 2012. Bryant Johnson was actually also taken by the Cardinals. Even in year one, Boldin outproduced him.
Boldin played 14 seasons in the NFL, seven with the Cardinals. In his time in Arizona, Boldin racked up 586 receptions for 7,520 yards and 44 touchdowns. He then spent three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and one season with the Detroit Lions before retiring after 2016.
Boldin finished with 1,076 receptions for 13,779 yards and 82 touchdowns. He was also an incredible model of consistency, having under 60 receptions just twice (and never under 56). One of those seasons saw him appear in just 10 games.
He was an impeccable route runner with perfect hands. A three-time Pro Bowler and 2003 Rookie of the Year, Boldin didn't accumulate many awards. He was underrated, but not on this list.
Boldin is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and even in the second round, was a notable steal.
3. Aeneas Williams
Back to the third round we go. The Cardinals took Aeneas Williams in the third round with the 59th overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft.
He would go on to play 14 seasons in the NFL, the first 10 with the Cardinals. In that time, Williams racked up massive numbers as a cornerback.
Williams had 46 interceptions with the Cardinals, as well as four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two sacks. All that led to eight defensive touchdowns.
After his 10 years with the franchise, Williams finished out his career with four more seasons with the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams). In those four years, he added another nine interceptions, nine fumble recoveries, one sack and four more defensive touchdowns.
Perhaps the best stat though is the pass deflections. Williams had 48. That many not seem like many, but that wasn't a stat until 1999. He played just six seasons with that as an official metric. And those were years on his decline, including two incomplete years with the Rams (one that saw him play just six games).
Imagine Williams with pass deflections as a stat his entire career? The numbers would be insane.
He ended with eight Pro Bowls, three first team All-Pros and, of course, an induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2014.
2. Adrian Wilson
Adrian Wilson was selected in the third round (64th overall) by the Cardinals in 2001. With Arizona, Wilson spent his entire 12 year career. And while there, he became one of the best safeties in the NFL.
Wilson racked up 903 tackles (81 for loss) to go along with 25.5 sacks. He also had 27 interceptions and 99 pass deflections, as well as 16 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries.
Wilson was the perfect example of a do-it-all player. He was incredible against the run and was a constant threat to blitz and get to the quarterback. However, that didn't mean he couldn't stop the pass as well.
The safety made it to five Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro in 2009. Although those are his only accolades, it's impossible not to recognize just how good Wilson was. He helped lead the Cardinals to their Super Bowl run (along with Dockett and Boldin) and is one of the best players in franchise history.
Another obvious candidate for one of their biggest steals.
1. Larry Centers
The greatest steal in franchise history goes to a fullback.
Larry Centers was taken in the fifth round (115th overall) by the Cardinals in 1990. He would spend nine of his 14 years in the NFL with the franchise.
In that time, Centers posted eye-popping numbers for a fullback. That included a 1995 season that saw him rack up 101 receptions, and a 1996 follow-up season that saw him with 99 receptions.
Centers ended his Cardinals career with 535 receptions for 4,539 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also had 517 rushes for 1,736 yards and another 10 touchdowns on the ground.
After that, he would spend two years with the Washington Redskins, two years with the Buffalo Bills and one year with the New England Patriots.
Centers ended his career with 827 receptions for 6,797 yards and 28 touchdowns. To put that into perspective, 827 receptions is 29th all-time. Fullbacks do not typically produce like that.
He also ended with 615 carries for 2,188 yards and 14 touchdowns. And in 2003 (his final year), Centers won his only Super Bowl with the Patriots.
Centers made it to three Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro in 1996. He's one of the greatest of all-time and a pretty clear cut choice for the biggest steal in Cardinals' franchise history.
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