With their fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. DTD is 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds, built similarly to both starting safeties for the Cardinals — Budda Baker (5-10, 195) and Jalen Thompson (5-11, 190).
He is very athletic and had incredible ball skills in college.
How productive was he?
He had 10 interceptions and 33 pass breakups over his final three seasons in Lubbock.
Drafted No. 104 overall, he was a top-50 player in Touchdown Wire’s big board.
What can we expect from him in 2024 as a rookie?
Well, with Baker and Thompson on the team, Taylor-Demerson won’t be starting unless someone gets hurt.
What he could reasonably do is supplant Andre Chachere in the third safety role.
The Cardinals used three safeties in dime packages on defense and in some big nickel packages, especially when Thompson was their main slot defender for the first half of the season.
Taylor-Demerson ideally will take over that role and then play on special teams.
Since Baker is entering the final year of his contract, Taylor-Demerson’s play as a rookie could allow the Cardinals to move on from Baker and allow him to get paid by another team.
We will see, but a perfect situation has DTD making an impact on special teams and then making a few plays in a limited defensive role as a rookie in 2024.
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