Arizona Cardinals Select Garrett Williams in Third Round of NFL Draft

The Syracuse Orange cornerback has an NFL home.

Mike McAllister | Apr 28, 2023

Arizona Cardinals Select Garrett Williams in Third Round of NFL Draft /

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Syracuse defensive back Garrett Williams has an NFL home. The Arizona Cardinals picked Williams in the third round of the NFL Draft Friday night with the 72nd overall pick. Williams was the second Orange player to go Friday night, joining second round selection Matthew Bergeron (Atlanta Falcons).

A three time All ACC selection, Williams battled injuries over the last couple of years that resulted in him falling to the third round. Absent that, he had a shot at the first round and was a second round prospect at worst.

During three seasons at Syracuse, Williams had 152 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 27 passes defensed, four interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown. He led the ACC in passes defensed in 2020 with 12 as part of his Freshman All American season.

Williams is a long, physical corner who is excellent in coverage. If he can stay healthy, those skills project very well to the professional level. In fact, the Cardinals could end up getting one of the draft's biggest steals because of his ability.

Part of Syracuse's 2019 recruiting class, Williams signed with the Orange out of Hickory Ridge High in North Carolina. He picked Syracuse over offers from Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia and several others.

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Published Apr 28, 2023

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.