PHOENIX -- Jamell Fleming has had some big bowl games in the Valley, and the Cardinals believe there are a lot more in him.
The Cardinals selected Fleming, a cornerback from Oklahoma, with their third-round pick in the NFL draft Friday, in part because they see him as a physical component to counter the NFL’s gradual evolution into a pass-first league. He was the defensive MVP of the 2010 Insight Bowl and MVP of the 2011 Fiesta Bowl, and he played well in the Big 12, where the spread offense is king.
“In today’s NFL, you are going to see multiple receiver sets, and you can’t have enough of these kind of guys. He’s a physical corner who we think can matchup. In the Big 12 they spread you out, and he did a nice job in some of the games he was forced into that role,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
Fleming, who does no appear to lack confidence, is ready for the challenge.
“I’m going to make a play. That’s what my mindset is. I have to have the ball,” Fleming said.
“I think Oklahoma prepared me better than any other conference because of the passing offenses. They always say the NFL is a passing league, and that’s all we did in the Big 12. I got to experience all that.”
The Cardinals bypassed what many considered a need on the offensive line to take Fleming. The line has given up at least 50 sacks in each of the last two seasons, although some of that can be attributed to the quarterback holding the ball. Fleming was the highest-rated player on their board when their 80th pick came around, and they said it was a no-brainer even though Ole Miss offensive tackle Bobby Massie was available at that point.
“We’re looking for an opportunity to address the offensive line, but you don’t want to do it at the expense of other players that can bring more to your football team,” Cardinals general manager Rod Graves said.
“If we can address that offensive line at some point where it makes sense, we are certainly going to do it. The draft is not our only opportunity here. We will have opportunities leading right up to training camp to address the offensive line. I think the wiser thing to do is to make sure you are getting the value for the pick.”
The Cardinals did not have a second-round pick this year after trading it to Philadelphia to obtain Kevin Kolb last year. They had opportunities to move into the second round Friday, Whisenhunt said, but did not want to trade the multiple picks it would have cost them.
Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals’ No. 1 draft pick in 2011, moved into a starting cornerback spot last season and made the Pro Bowl as a special teams player. A.J. Jefferson started at the other corner before Richard Marshall worked his way into the starting lineup midway through the season. Marshall had three of the team’s 10 interceptions, while Peterson and linebacker Daryl Washington had two apiece.
Fleming, 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, had five interceptions in 2010 and two in 2011. The Cardinals liked the quickness and agility he showed at the combine workouts, where he also did 24 repetitions on the squats. Then there is his demeanor.
“Corner, you have to be confident. Once you lost your confidence, you go straight downhill,” Fleming said.
The Cardinals have depth in the secondary, but Whisenhunt believes that is a good thing. By the final game of the 2011 regular season, the Cardinals had promoted two players from the practice squad to fill out the defensive backfield.
“If that game had been for a playoff spot, that’s not what you want to do,” Whisenhunt said.
“If offenses are going to be in some form of sub(stitution) package, where they have to have three or four receivers on the field 60 percent of the time, you are going to be running eight or nine ‘DB’s on the field. You have to shave some of those guys.”
Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter
