The Arizona Cardinals traded up to draft Washington safety Bishard "Budda" Baker in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft on Friday.
The Cardinals traded their second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks this season and a fourth-round pick next season to the Chicago Bears in order to move up to the 36th overall pick, where they took Baker, a 5-foot-10, 192-pounder. The Cards also acquired the Bears' seventh-round pick.
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With the 36th pick in the #NFLDraft, we selected @BuddaBaker32! #CardsDraft pic.twitter.com/vYbVDDBY3g
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 29, 2017
— budda baker (@buddabaker32) April 29, 2017
Baker was a consensus All-American selection as a junior in 2016, and he helped guide the Huskies to the 2016 Pac-12 championship. NFL.com calls him an undersized safety with the heart of a linebacker.
He's drawn comparisons to another undersized safety with a ton of heart: the Honey Badger himself, Tyrann Mathieu, who was an All-Pro selection for the Cardinals in 2015.
Baker is a former high-school track sprinter and is extremely speedy, and NFL.com says he's "tremendously explosive and passionate in his play."
Baker recorded 70 tackles (48 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions for the Huskies last season. Like the Cardinals' first-round pick, Haason Reddick, Baker is a versatile player who can fit in at multiple positions. He was the fourth safety selected in this year's draft.
Baker's mother has called him "Budda" since he was born, as she thought he looked like a Buddha doll.
Oh... and he can juggle, too.
Hey @buddabaker32, can you... juggle lemons?! #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/OQXkZiSxx9
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2017
Keim said he coveted Budda Baker. Called him "a guy that jumped off the tape." Said some similarities to Mathieu.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) April 29, 2017
Young savage https://t.co/dFgRvAo9Kg
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) April 28, 2017
.@buddabaker32 can BALL! #CardsDraft pic.twitter.com/jtH9COKWTw
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 29, 2017
