With the 2011 NFL Draft now less than a week away, our draft success series continues for the Arizona Cardinals. We have covered Johnny Johnson, LaRod Stephens Howling, Steve Breaston and, most recently, Eric Swann.
Today, at number six, I cheated and put two players together, partially because I didn't want to exclude any of the guys on my list, partially because the two players are connected in Cardinals history.The two players are Darnell Dockett and Karlos Dansby.
Both Dockett and Dansby were drafted by Denny Green in 2004. Dansby was taken in the 2nd round as the 33rd selection while Dockett was drafted in the third round with the 64th pick on the draft.
Both players got significant playing time their first year and were allowed the opportunity to work through their errors.
Both matured and developed into very productive player. Dockett has become perhaps the second best defensive tackle in the league (even though he now plays defensive end). Opposing teams, when asked about who they are most concerned about on Arizona's defense, the answer is always Dockett. He is a disruptive force. He has 31 career sacks and tied a Super Bowl record with three sacks of Ben Roethlisberger.
Dansby was the perfect fit for the Arizona defense. His ability to make plays in space was sorely missed in 2010. In six years with the Cardinals, he logged 25.5 sacks, 10 interceptions and 551 tackles. And who can forget his game-ending touchdown in the Cardinals 51-45 playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers?
He was always a bit quirky, much like Shawn Marion with the Suns. But his playmaking skills were undeniable.
There are many here in the community that say that rather than paying Dockett, the team should have let him go and pay Dansby. I'm not so sure about that, but what is certain is that both these players warrant mention in the list of greatest Cardinals draft successes.
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