Cardinals select Kei'Trel Clark in Sixth Round of 2023 NFL Draft

The cornerback is the third Louisville football player to be selected in this year's draft.

Matthew McGavic | Apr 29, 2023

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville cornerback Kei'Trel Clark has been selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 180 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Clark is the third former Cardinal to be selected in this year's draft, following defensive end YaYa Diaby and linebacker Yasir Abdullah. He is also the school's 156th all-time NFL Draft selection, and the 27th former Louisville player to be drafted in the last 10 years.

Starting all 12 regular season games before opting out of the Fenway Bowl, Clark was one of Louisville's best defensive backs in 2022. Coming off of a 2021 campaign in which he tore his ACL, he finished the season with the fifth-most tackles on the team at 51 (35 solo), as well as 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack, four pass break ups and an interception returned for a touchdown. He was tabbed as a Third-Team All-ACC selection for his efforts.

He was an All-ACC performer in all three of his years at Louisville, earning Second-Team honors in both 2020 and 2021. Clark was on the fast track to a First-Team selection in 2021 - and potentially a first round pick in last year's draft - before tearing his ACL. That season, he totaled 40 tackles (30 solo), 3.5 for loss, a sack, three interceptions and nine pass breakups in just eight games.

Clark joined the program in 2020 after spending his freshman year at Liberty. In 31 appearances and 27 starts, the Richmond, Va, native finished his Cardinals career with 127 tackles (92 solo), 9.5 for loss, one sack, 23 pass breakups and five interceptions. His pass breakup total is good for ninth in school history.

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Published Apr 29, 2023

MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic