KeeSean Johnson first Fresno State player taken in NFL Draft since 2015. He goes to team on move
Former Fresno State standout wide receiver KeeSean Johnson is headed to the Arizona Cardinals.
Johnson was selected in the sixth round, 174th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday. He’ll be a teammate to top overall pick Kyler Murray.
Selecting Murray signaled a new offensive direction for the Cardinals, who traded incumbent starting quarterback Josh Rosen to the Miami Dolphins.
And Johnson was the third wide receiver taken by Arizona in the draft, after second-round pick Andy Isabella from UMass and third-rounder Hakeem Butler from Iowa State.
“We can be really good,” Johnson told reporters. “We’ve got Kyler Murray at quarterback. We’ve got three receivers we drafted, including myself. .... We’re going to all come in and we’re going to compete. We’re just going to do whatever we can to help the team win more games.”
Johnson is the first Bulldogs player to be drafted since 2015 when Tyeler Davison, Derron Smith and Cody Wichmann were selected.
The Cardinals got three of the top eight 2018 draft-eligible receivers by yards: Isabella first (1,698), Johnson sixth (1,340) and Butler (1,318).
They hope to join a group led by 16-year NFL superstar Larry Fitzgerald.
Last season, Johnson had 95 receptions and finished his career as Fresno State’s record-holder in receptions and receiving yards, passing current Green Bay Packer Davante Adams in receptions and Charlie Jones in yards.
Johnson said he’s ready to get started in Arizona.
“I’m bringing anything they need to the offense. Anything,” he told reporters. “If they want me to play inside, outside, no matter what it is, I’m going to learn the whole offense inside and out. I’m coming in, and I’m going to do the same thing, I’m not going to stop, no matter what.”
Two other Fresno State draft hopefuls, safety Mike Bell Jr. and linebacker Jeff Allison, were not picked.
This story was originally published April 27, 2019 at 12:34 PM.
