It looks like the Cardinals have found their guy to compete with Paris Lenon and possibly line up next to Daryl Washington. Quan Sturdivant, ILB, North Carolina is the choice and he is a guy that Arizona Cardinals fans should see as pick that fills a need. See more about Quan after the jump.
Sturdivant was projected to go in the third or fourth round by Mel Kiper Jr. from ESPN, so for the Cardinals to pick him up in the sixth round means that they got tremendous value with their pick.
Sturdivant definitely seems to be a pretty solid player by all accounts. He plays well in coverage, can play outside or inside and he plays well against the run. His durability is decent with the exception of a hamstring injury last season.
The only knock against Quan Sturdivant would be his questionable off-field actions. He was arrested in July of 2010 for drug possession, but hopefully other players such as Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett will be able to straighten him out.
For now, Cardinals fans can revel in the fact that not only did our team take a "best player available" approach with this pick, but they also filled a major need.
Here is some more about Sturdivant from Darren Urban:
The Cardinals used the first of two sixth-round draft picks on inside linebacker Quan Sturdivant from North Carolina. Sturdivant, 6-foot-1 and 241 pounds, was part of the Tar Heel team ravaged from suspensions, and he was one of the ones investigated for improper dealings with agents (he was cleared ). He also battled a hamstring injury for more than a month.
But in eight games he had 61 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. In his career, he had 27.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries, and looks like a good pickup considering he was thought of as a third- or fourth-round pick and some even believed he could go in the second round. With Gerald Hayes unlikely to return next year, the Cards needed depth on the inside behind Paris Lenon and Daryl Washington.