Cardinals take North Carolina’s T.J. Logan in NFL draft fifth round

The Cardinals passed on selecting a quarterback in the first three rounds of the draft, and it’s doubtful they’ll find a future starter today in rounds five through seven.

“Would you love to find one?” General Manager Steve Keim said Friday night. “Absolutely, but at the same time you can’t force the pick and you can’t leave better players on the board, and that is what we would’ve done if we didn’t take the approach that we did. It would be a disservice to the organization and everybody that works here if we would press and do something that was out of the norm or to panic.”

From Tar Heel to Cardinal

With their second pick in the fifth round, the Cardinals took North Carolina running back T.J. Logan.

Logan, 5-feet-9-inches and 196 pounds, was mainly a backup for the Tar Heels, but saw plenty of playing time.

He rushed for 675 yards last year and caught 29 passes. He also returns kicks, a job he could fill immediately for the Cardinals.

Logan scored 12 touchdowns last year: seven rushing, three receiving and two on kick returns.

He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds at the scouting combine, the best time among running backs.

“I feel like if I’m out there on the field, I can make guys miss,” Logan said, “make big runs, finish runs. I’m looking for the home run. I’m not going to be satisfied at just running out of bounds.”

While Logan is an experienced kick returner, he has never returned punts. He’s been working on that skill for the past few months, he said.

“I’m willing to do it, I don’t have any problem with it.”

Cards add more line depth in fifth round

With the first of two selections in the fifth round, the Cardinals selected offensive tackle Will Holden from Vanderbilt.

Holden, 6-feet-7-inches and 311 pounds, was a three-year starter in college and has experience playing both right and left tackle.

Holden expected to go in the fifth round, he said, but had minimal contact with the Cardinals over the past few months.

“They got me slotted at tackle, which is nice,” he said, “but I’m ready to get in there and compete for a job whether it’s a tackle or guard.”

300-lb. Pitt. guard is fourth-round pick

The Cardinals began the final day of the draft by addressing depth on the offensive line. They selected guard Dorian Johnson from Pittsburgh in the fourth round.

Johnson (6-feet-4-inches and 300 pounds) started 39 consecutive games in college, most of them at guard. According to profootballfocus.com, Johnson allowed just 15 quarterback pressures over the last three seasons.

Johnson was rated by some scouts as a possible second-round pick, and there are reports today that he dropped in the draft due to concern about an issue with his liver.

In a conference call on Saturday, Johnson said he’s had a liver condition his entire life. He has an abnormally high enzyme level and takes medication for it

The condition has never caused any problems, Johnson said.

“It hasn’t affected me and my playing whatsoever,” he said. “I’m completely healthy, no issues with it. I’m absolutely no worried about it at all.”

Johnson said he was surprised it became an issue for some teams.

Cardinals bios

T.J. Logan

Round/overall pick: – 5/179

Position: Running back/returner

School: North Carolina

Ht. Wt.: 5-9, 196

Background: Logan was never a full-time starter in college, but he played a big role as an all-around back. He proved he could not only be effective as a runner but also as a receiver and returner.

How he fits: Logan could upgrade the Cardinals’ kick return unit, which needed help. He has no experience returning punts, so it’s questionable if he can do that at the NFL level. If Logan proves himself as a rookie, the Cardinals could give Andre Ellington more work at receiver. Logan has solid receiving skills, which is a bonus in playing behind David Johnson.

Will Holden

Round/overall pick: – 5/157

Position: Offensive tackle

School: Vanderbilt

Ht. Wt.: 6-7, 311

Background: He started at both right and left tackle in his last three years of college. Per scouting reports, Holden is smart and tough, but has a tendency to get too high when he blocks.

How he fits: The Cardinals have depth at their tackles spots, so Holden won’t be asked to contribute right away. The Cardinals plan to play Holden at tackle instead of moving him to guard.

Dorian Johnson

Round/overall pick: – 4/115th

Position: Guard

School: Pittsburgh

Ht. Wt: 6-5, 300

Background: A four-star recruit at Pittsburgh, Johnson played a few games at left tackles as a freshman, then moved to left guard. He started 39 consecutive games over the past three years. Pitt ran a pro-style offense so Johnson might be better prepared to play early in his career than other college players.

How he fits: The Cardinals needed depth at guard, and Johnson was one of the highest rated at that position in this draft. Johnson played left guard at Pittsburgh. Mike Iupati holds down that job for the Cardinals, but the right guard spot is open. Evan Boehm is penciled in as the starter there. Iupati turns 30 next month, so it makes sense to try to find his eventual replacement now.

Chad Williams

Round/pick: – 3/98

The trade: The Cardinals traded with the Panthers, moving down from the 77th overall pick to the 98th, receiving a fourth-round selection, the 115th overall, in return.

Position: Wide receiver

School: Grambling State

Height/weight: 6-1, 204 pounds

Background: A productive college receiver who caught 13 passes for 152 yards against Arizona last fall. Williams reportedly was impressive at the Senior Bowl but was not invited to the scouting combine.

How he fits: The Cardinals are always looking to add speed at receiver and Williams has it, running the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds at his pro day. The Cardinals are looking for depth at receiver and also toward the future. This could be Larry Fitzgerald’s last season.

Budda Baker

Round/pick: 2/36th

The trade: Cardinals traded with the Bears to move up from the 45th overall pick. They gave up their fourth and sixth round selections this year and a fourth in 2018. They received a seventh-round pick in return.

Position: Safety

School: Washington

Height/weight: 5-10, 192 pounds

Background: Baker was a four-star recruit out of Bellevue, Wash. He was on the same high school team as Myles Jack, who played at UCLA and is now with Jacksonville. Baker’s first name is Bishard, but he’s been called Budda since birth because his mother thought he looked like a little Buddha.

How he fits: A versatile player who can play almost anywhere in the secondary. Baker isn’t big, but he does a lot of the same things as Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu. He can play the traditional free safety role of roaming the center of the field. He can play strong safety near scrimmage and he can play nickel cornerback. The Cardinals often use three and four safeties in their defensive scheme, and they lost two starters to free agency.

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