Cardinals take UCF CB Tay Gowan with the 223rd pick of the NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals used the sixth-round pick they acquired in the Mason Cole trade with the Minnesota Vikings on UCF cornerback Tay Gowan.

Gowan marks the second cornerback taken in the draft by the Cardinals after they traded up to the fourth-round to select Florida CB Marco Wilson.

The 6-foot-1, 186-pound Gowan spent one year at UCF before opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding his daughter’s health amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his lone season as a Knight, Gowan recorded two interceptions, eight pass deflections, and 31 tackles (1.0 for loss) in 12 games.

He played one game for Miami-Ohio in 2017 before transferring to UCF.

Per Pro Football Focus, Gowan allowed just a 26.6 passer rating in single coverage since 2019, the second-lowest in college football over that span.

At UCF’s pro day, which the Cardinals were in attendance for, Gowan ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and posted a 35.5-inch vertical jump. He put up 13 bench press reps and ran the three-cone drill in 6.86 seconds.

NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein highlighted Gowan’s ability to challenge 50/50 balls and his bulked-up frame since entering college.

Gowan joins Byron Murphy, Malcolm Butler, Robert Alford, Jace Whittaker and Wilson in the cornerback room.

Follow @Tdrake4sports