Cardinals take Andy Isabella with pick acquired in Rosen trade

The Arizona Cardinals selected wide receiver Andy Isabella out of Massachusetts in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 62nd overall.

Arizona made the selection after acquiring the pick from the Miami Dolphins in the Josh Rosen trade.

Isabella generated plenty of buzz after a strong combine that followed his second straight 1,000-yard season at UMass. The 5-foot-9 wideout exploded for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior for the Minutemen, torching Georgia in the final game of his collegiate career for 219 yards and two scores.

Isabella and Christian Kirk give the Cardinals two young receivers to grow with quarterback Kyler Murray, while veteran Larry Fitzgerald should continue to provide the offense with sturdy veteran leadership.

Prospect profile

School: Massachusetts
Height: 5-9
Weight: 188 lbs

Strengths

• Incredibly productive slot receiver who dominates middle of field
• Quickness and advanced route running make him a nightmare to cover out of slot
• Explosiveness shows up with quickness in and out of his breaks
• Outstanding fakes at top of his route to create separation
• Traits also translate to effectiveness in vertical game, where he tracks ball well
• Extremely elusive after catch
• Works back to quarterback when he breaks pocket to buy time
• Willing blocker in running game

Weaknesses

• Size will limit him to a slot role in the NFL
• Small catch radius
• Won’t offer much of anything in contested catch situations
• Played mostly against low-level competition

Bottom line

Isabella has the potential to be a top playmaker in today's NFL. Size will never allow him to become that prototypical No. 1 target on the outside, but with three-receiver sets effectively having become the base personnel grouping, what team couldn't use a player capable of dominating the middle of the field? Isabella has a combination of athleticism, route running, and ability after the catch, and he also has the long speed to stretch the defense vertically.