Mathieu has Ed Reed-type safety instincts combined with Kam Chancellor-type tackling security. People are always trying to find a weakness in his game, but there doesn't seem to be one. The
Cardinals can use him in so many ways because he's good at all of the things you can't teach, including instincts, recovery speed, vision, etc., which makes him more difficult to game plan for than even Troy Polamalu was. The kid is simply the best out there right now.
To no one's surprise, Watt is the most versatile player. When I watch film on him, he can do everything and line up and play any position on the defensive line. Even when he doesn't get to the QB, he's versatile enough to understand throwing lanes -- nobody's batted more balls than Watt. Having that flexibility and versatility has made him even more dangerous as a defender.
I have to go with
Tyrann Mathieu, but
Khalil Mack is a very close second. Mathieu can play across the entire defensive backfield, and I just haven't seen another player who can do that like he can. What makes him really special, though, is his ability to blitz and disrupt plays. He's a huge playmaker for the
Cardinals and every time the ball is thrown his way, there's an opportunity for a change of possession. I think teams are starting to look for Mathieu-type players in the draft each year because they see how effective he is.
This guy can do it all. He is a cornerback who can blitz, cover a receiver anywhere in the secondary, return punts and possibly could play wide receiver or running back. He has the quickness to do the tough work outside the numbers, but also has the build to go into the bike lane and deal with the banging. There are a lot of guys who can do one or the other, but Peterson can do both. He's a huge talent for the
Arizona Cardinals.
This is a close one between two teammates, Arizona's
Patrick Peterson and
Tyrann Mathieu, but I have to go with the safety. Mathieu's ability to cover different positions proves his versatility. He can line up against some of the greatest offensive players in the league, from a dominant
Rob Gronkowski to speedster
Julio Jones to pass-catching running back
Matt Forte. He's able to do so much -- regardless of his small stature -- because of his speed and strength.
