NFL Draft analyst believes Cardinals' Day 3 pick should become a starter during his rookie season

Not only did the Arizona Cardinals have a deep NFL Draft class with 12 picks, seven of their selections came in the first 100 selections. That left five for the third and final day of the draft.

Expectations for a top-100 pick and a Day 3 pick should rightfully be different, which means a Day 3 pick outperforming expectations is an incredibly valuable result as well. 

Don't sleep on defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson from achieving this outcome, and quickly.

Taken with the 104th overall pick in the fourth round, Taylor-Demerson brings an elite combination of ball skills and speed. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort believes these traits will allow him to succeed at safety.

"His best attribute is his range and ball skills," Ossenfort said. "He has a nose for the football. We think he'll be able to play the deep half of the field and then we'll see what else he can do."

For the long-term, Taylor-Demerson, or "Rabbit," can become a potential replacement for starting safety Budda Baker, but what if the Cards feel like he can contribute immediately elsewhere? Putting him in the slot might be the best option.

NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter explained this role would be ideal for Taylor-Demerson as rookie, even going as far to say he'll end up starting half of the 2024 season.

"I think the Cardinals need to get Taylor-Demerson on the field as a nickel defender in 2024. His cover ability in the slot should be utilized and I expect him to be effective rotating deep, as well, if the team wants to use Budda Baker — who is in the final year of his contract — and Jalen Thompson in the box. It won't be a surprise if 'DTD' starts eight games this season." - NFL.com's Chad Reuter

Arizona drafted one of its projected starting cornerbacks, Max Melton, in the second round. Starting two rookies would be fairly unconventional, but DTD's competition for the slot spot isn't too fierce. Last year's third-round pick Garrett Williams is the incumbent at the position, and he missed the first six weeks of the season due to an injury he suffered at college.   

Whether or not that's a training camp battle remains to be seen, but Taylor-Demerson is used to playing all over the secondary. He logged 1,489 snaps at free safety, 813 in the slot, and 448 in the box during his five years at Texas Tech, per Pro Football Focus. Moving him around the field where he's needed is second nature to the 24-year old.

Arizona gave itself plenty of swings in this year's draft. DTD panning out quicker than expected would only make a promising class even better.