2011 NFL Draft Results: Patrick Peterson a Steal for Arizona Cardinals

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There is plenty to be unhappy about if you're an Arizona Cardinals fan on this first night of the 2011 NFL Draft.

The excitement around the franchise evaporated in 2010 with a series of failures at quarterback and a team that could never seem to get in sync.

There's plenty in the desert that were clamoring for a Blaine Gabbert, a Jake Locker or even a Ryan Mallett. Cards fans needed something to forget about the Derek Anderson and Max Hall debacles. And as excited as I was to see a fellow Fordham alum in the NFL for the first time in forever, John Skelton is not the immediate solution.

Instead, the rumors are the Cards will chase another retread with Marc Bulger and bring back Skelton to tutor under the veteran. Don't all jump at once to get your season tickets.

But I'm here to tell you, Cards fans, that your management made the smart move. There were plenty of experts that had Patrick Peterson as the No. 1 talent in the draft. Sure, taking a corner isn't exactly the sexy pick.

But the Cards didn't trade down as were the rumors aplenty Thursday. They made the best-player-on-the-board pick that will give them a Revis Island-type shutdown corner.

That in and of itself can create the kind of buzz that leads to a win all on its own, the kind of one-player impact upgrade that can propel the Cards to the top of the weakling NFC West even with Bulger a shadow of his former self.

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