13. Arizona Cardinals: Deandre Baker, Georgia, CB
When the Arizona Cardinals had to replace head coach Bruce Arians this offseason, they went in a completely different direction. After four seasons with the offensive guru at the helm, the Cards decided to hire Steve Wilks, a former defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers.
Wilks makes his presence felt with this pick as he lands Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker. He’s a talented cover corner who can be a shutdown player. Kipp Adams covers the Bulldogs for 247 Sports and breaks down just how dominant Baker was in 2017.
"“Baker was in coverage for 456 snaps last season, being targeted 62 times. In those 62 throws toward Baker in 15 games, wide receivers made just 23 catches for 295 yards and zero touchdowns, with Baker making three interceptions. That is good for 19.8 coverage snaps per reception, .65 yards per coverage snap, and 7.4 coverage snaps per target.” — Kipp Adams 247 Sports"
The most impressive stat pointed out by Adams is the zero touchdowns charged against Baker. Adding him to a defensive backfield that already includes Patrick Peterson feels almost unfair, but with teams like the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco becoming better passing offenses, it makes sense to build such a defense.