ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona Cardinals select draft’s fastest player in UAB WR J.J. Nelson

May 2, 2015, 9:14 PM | Updated: 9:14 pm

TEMPE, Ariz. — What J.J. Nelson lacks in speed he more than makes up for in…ummm…no, wait. He doesn’t lack for speed. At all.

Nelson was clocked at 4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest time of anyone in Indianapolis.

“I ran a 4.28 at the combine, but I think I’m way faster than that,” Nelson said after the Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fifth-round of the 2015 NFL Draft, 159th overall. “It was 4.28, but I know I can get way lower than 4.28.”

It’s no secret pure speed is Nelson’s greatest selling point. At 5-foot-10 and 156 pounds he’s certainly slight of build, but that did not stop him from piling up impressive numbers while a UAB Blazer.

He finished college tied for fifth all-time at UAB with 116 receptions, and ranked third in receiving yardage at 2,273. He averaged 19.6 yards per catch, and his 20 receiving touchdowns are tied for third-most in school history.

But it’s his kick return skills that really jump off the page, as he averaged 38.7 yards per return and took four back for touchdowns in 2014.

Nelson said returning was the focus in his first meeting with the Cardinals, and is confident he will be pretty good in that role.

However, he wants to be more than just a return specialist.

“I feel like I see myself as a kick returner as well as a receiver, because with my speed, I have the ability to go out and blow the top off of the defense,” he said. “There is a lot of stuff I need to clean up, my route running and catching the ball cleaner than I do.

“I also feel like I’m really a dynamic receiver. I pretty much proved that at UAB. I feel like coming to Arizona that hopefully I can be able to compete for a wide receiver job as well as a special teams guy.”

The precedent was set last year when 5-foot-10 speedster John Brown went from being a third-round pick by the Cardinals to one of the team’s most dynamic players. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that Nelson compares himself to Brown and Washington receiver DeSean Jackson, who is also slight of build but very, very fast.

“They go out every day undersized, but they don’t let any of that matter,” Nelson said. “They go out and do what they have to do and help their team be successful.”

However, Nelson said he is trying to get bigger and stronger, adding that he would like to get up to at least 165 pounds, but ideally closer to 175 before the season begins. He feels like the extra weight would not hurt his speed at all, but instead help his explosiveness and power. A little more weight, he said, will help him out in the long run.

And with Nelson, running is really what it’s all about. It’s why the Cardinals drafted him, and it will be why he sticks in the league. He’s certainly going to the right team, one with a need at returner but an offense that gets the most out of smaller, faster wideouts.

Arizona is a team Nelson had his eye on, a place the Midfield, Alabama native was going to consider if he went through the weekend without being selected. Of course, it’s more fun actually being drafted.

“It was great,” he said of how he felt when he got the call. “A guy like me, coming from where I’m coming from, it really didn’t matter what round I went to. Just to go through this whole process and being able to get drafted to a great franchise like the Arizona Cardinals, it was really and truly a blessing.

“Words can’t describe it. My family is happy for me; everyone in the city of Birmingham is just so happy for me right now,” he said. “I feel like everything planned out perfect. God had a plan for me.”

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Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, right, along with his friend Kiyomi Cook arrive at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, left, is greeted by his friend Matt Wright, right, after arriving at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, right, along with his father Toa Mariota, left, arrive at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, center, shares a laugh with his high school football coach Darnell Arceneaux, right, while looking at a selfie picture at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP, Pool) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, center, poses for a picture with his father Toa Mariota, right, and a family friend at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP, Pool) Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree poses for photos his mother Sophia Stephens, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Texas A&M offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi poses for photos with his mother Kelly Ogbuehi, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Alabama defensive back Landon Collins poses for photos his mother April Justin, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, right, poses for a picture with a family friend at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP, Pool) Wake Forest defensive back Kevin Johnson poses for photos his mother Judy Johnson, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith poses for photos his mother Atina Smith, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Florida defensive lineman Dante Fowler poses for photos his mother Lanora Fowler, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus, right, poses with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for photos, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon poses for photos with his mother Carmen Gordon, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota addresses his family and friends during his NFL Draft Day party at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP, Pool) Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, right, poses for a picture with his family at the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse on NFL Draft Day Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Honolulu. His brother Matthew Mariota, left, Toa Mariota, his father, left center, and his mother Alana Deppe-Mariota, center right. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian via AP, Pool) Top prospects look at the stands from behind the stage before the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Missouri defensive lineman Shane Ray poses for photos with his mother Sebrina Johnson, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Central Florida wide receiver Breshad Perriman poses for photos with his mother Laundria Perriman, upon arriving for the first round of the 2015 NFL Football Draft at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans react after the team drafted former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick during the NFL draft party Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces after the Tennessee Titans selected Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as the second pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selects Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston as the first pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces after the Oakland Raiders selects Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper as the fourth pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) From left, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, president Mark Murphy and head coach Mike McCarthy visit with each other inside the war room during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Thursday, April 30, 2015. (Evan Siegle/The Green Bay Press-Gazette via AP) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders celebrate along with fans after the team drafted former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston during an NFL draft party Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Tampa, Fla. Winston was the first overall pick in the draft. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Green Bay Packers director of player personnel Eliot Wolf, second from right, talks on the phone as general manager Ted Thompson, president Mark Murphy and head coach Mike McCarthy visit with each other inside the war room during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Thursday, April 30, 2015. Also shown is Brian Gutekunst, director of college scouting. (Evan Siegle/The Green Bay Press-Gazette via AP Florida defensive lineman Dante Fowler poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the thrid pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Florida defensive lineman Dante Fowler celebrates after being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the third pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Florida defensive lineman Dante Fowler celebrates after being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the third pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Jameis Winston takes the call from Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. The Bucs put an end to months of speculation by selecting the talented-but-troubled signal caller, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2013. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams poses for photos after being selected by the New York Jets as the sixth pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams celebrates after being selected by the New York Jets as the sixth pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the New York Jets as the sixth pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Georgia running back Todd Gurley poses for photos after being selected by the St. Louis Rams as the 10th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Georgia running back Todd Gurley shakes hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the St. Louis Rams as the 10th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Jameis Winston reacts with his family and friends as he takes the call from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they are selecting him as the number one draft pick, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Washington defensive lineman Danny Shelton picks up NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he celebrates after being selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 12th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Washington defensive lineman Danny Shelton celebrates with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 12th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Michigan State defensive back Trae Waynes celebrates after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the 11th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Clemson defensive lineman Vic Beasley poses for photos with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the eighth pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Florida State offensive lineman Cameron Erving poses for photos after being selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 19th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Florida offensive lineman D.J. Humphries poses for photos after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the 24th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Florida offensive lineman D.J. Humphries celebrates after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals as the 24th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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