Cardinals draft WR Andy Isabella with 62nd pick from Josh Rosen trade

After trading last year’s first round pick, quarterback Josh Rosen, to the Miami Dolphins for pick No. 62, the Arizona Cardinals in-turn selected UMass wide receiver Andy Isabella.

The selection originally belonged to the New Orleans Saints, but became property of Miami when they made a trade down from pick No. 48. Then, when the Los Angeles Rams were on the clock at 61, the news came down that the Cardinals were trading into the next pick for Rosen a day after drafting quarterback Kyler Murray first overall. Miami also sent Arizona a 2020 fifth-round pick.

“I can’t wait to get in the league and show what I’m made of,” Isabella said. “This is something I dreamed of my whole entire life.”

Isabella led all NCAA receivers with 1,698 receiving yards last season and tied for fifth-most TDs with 13. At 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds, the Ohio native expects to line up in the slot based on his combine time spent with the Cardinals.

“A guy that many across the country probably don’t know a lot about,” GM Steve Keim said. “But when you look up the stat log and see what he’s done against top-tier competition, teams like Georgia, South Florida, a number of different teams that we saw him play against.”

Keim added that college scouting coordinator Ryan Gold and offensive quality control coach Spencer Whipple both spent time at UMass and could vouch for the player.

“He had a lot of production inside and outside and that’s what’s exciting to us, is his ability to play on the outside and create space,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “He’s dangerous on the inside as well. But he’s a guy that showed he could do both at a high level.”

Isabella ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at the combine.

“We’re extremely excited about him,” Keim said. “He brings a different skillset that we don’t currently have, which the footspeed and the explosiveness to take the top off.”

The Cardinals last drafted a wide receiver in the second round last year, selecting Saguaro High School (Ariz.) product Christian Kirk from Texas A&M. Before that, they took Grambling pass-catcher Chad Williams in 2017.

Isabella marks the third player the Cardinals drafted in this draft, joining Murray and Washington cornerback Byron Murphy. The Cardinals also owned the selection three picks later at No. 65, the first pick of the third round, where they selected Boston College defensive end Zach Allen.
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