Cardinals Rookie Profile: Can Kei'Trel Clark Anchor Slot Duties?

As we near the end of our rookie profiles for the Arizona Cardinals 2023 NFL Draft class we look at sixth-round pick Kei-Trel Clark from Louisville.

Author:
Richie Bradshaw
Publish date:
Jun 28, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

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Arizona Cardinals

Even as Monti Ossenfort and the Arizona Cardinals neared the end of the 2023 NFL Draft, they stuck to their philosophy of drafting proven players who have a lot of experience. They managed to do this in the sixth round with Louisville's Kei'Trel Clark.

When looking at Clark you notice two things - Clark plays the position well, but he is certainly on the smaller side for the position. Both of these factors can counteract each other and lead to a player who will be locked into a very specific role at the professional level: nickelback.

Clark has a lot of proven success at the collegiate level and is quite the decorated player, but how will he factor into the 2023 Cardinals' plans? Let's dive into it and find out.

Accomplishments

Unranked recruit (2019) who became a high-impact player all four years in college
35 career starts (seven as a freshman at Liberty and 28 in three years at Louisville)
167 career tackles
13.5 career tackles for loss
Two defensive touchdowns in 2022
Two-Time Second-Team All-ACC (2020, 2021)
One-Time Third-Team All-ACC (2022)

2023 NFL Draft profile

Smaller size at 5'10" 181 lbs
Fast player (4.42 speed) that shows on tape
Playmaker in the backfield and in coverage
Limited by size

What the tape shows

Clark plays like a starting cornerback on the outside. Clark understands how to mirror opposing receivers and often stays with receivers throughout the route. There is also good ball production here, as Clark broke up 23 passes and picked off six balls across his three seasons at Louisville.

Where Clark struggles is with the things he can't control. Clark is undersized at 5'10" 181 lbs and it absolutely shows on tape. Bigger and more physical receivers are able to win the matchup simply because Clark can't compete. This is the frustrating part for Clark, as there is little he can do about this.

Clark feels best projected to the slot at the next level and Louisville tried moving him there his senior season. There were some growing pains for Clark moving to the inside, but there is plenty of hope that he can continue to grow into the role.

Projected role for 2023

Stop me if you've heard this before - Clark is best suited for a role on special teams as a rookie. With his speed and instincts, Clark could be a heat-seeking missile as a gunner. There isn't any upside as a return man, as his lone return attempt came as a freshman at Liberty and it went for -20 yards.

The hope is Clark can continue to develop and refine his play as a nickel defender, but his senior season showed that it will take time and patience to arrive at that point. His lack of size will limit him to this role unless he can suddenly turn into a lockdown player.

For the value the Cardinals got Clark at, you have to love the stash-and-develop potential here, but this is a project player who is limited in his growth, no pun intended.