Markus Golden convinced he can make impact in NFL

The selection of Markus Golden in the second round of this year's NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals raised some eyebrows. There are many who believe it was a reach to take him that early. General manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians have compared him to LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.

While Golden is only on the second field for OTAs, just biding his time and trying to make it to the first field, he believes he has what it takes to be an impact player in the league.

"There are a lot of great players over there (on Field One), but I'm great, too," Golden said. "I know that once I can learn these plays and get over to that field, I'll be able to compete with whoever is over there."

Isn't this exactly what you want to hear from a rookie?

But it doesn't stop there. He has great respect for the veterans on the team and reaches out to them to learn more,

"You've got to understand, guys like (linebacker Lorenzo Alexander) have been here," he said. "Whenever a play is called, he knows exactly what to do. You've got to get help from those guys. They do a really good job of helping us out. I want to keep getting better."

There might be questions about how effective Golden will be at the pro level, but you can't deny he has the right level of confidence and respect that is needed to reach that level.