Low Pick Won’t Get Eaton Down Former WSU Defensive Line Standout Goes To Arizona In Last Round Of Draft

O.K., fine, if that’s the way you want to play it, it’s all right with Chad Eaton.

Just don’t expect him to take it lying down.

“This is going to work to my advantage,” said Eaton, a Washington State defensive tackle whose expectations for a third- or fourth-round draft call were dashed when he plummeted all the way to late in the seventh and final round.

Most scouting services had the Puyallup, Wash., native ranked between fifth and 12th in the list of defensive tackles, but 34 were taken by the time the Arizona Cardinals called his name with the 241st pick.

Will this serve as a motivator for Eaton?

“100 percent.”

Several weeks ago, Eaton said he might consider not even trying the NFL if he wasn’t drafted by the third or fourth round.

“At the time, I figured I’d be a shoo-in for at least the fourth round,” Eaton said.

So he watched the draft. And he saw some big names being taken, but as it wore on, he also saw defensive tackles from such powerhouses as Hampton and Trinity get drafted.

“It was getting kinda discouraging, getting tough toward the end, there, when you know you’re just as good or better than some of them getting picked.”

Eaton, the winner of the Morris Trophy as the Pacific-10 Conference’s top defensive lineman, can only speculate that a slow 40 time at the scouting combine was what sent his stock to the basement.

“I think some coaches look at me as a kid who was great in college but doesn’t have great pro potential,” Eaton said.

Outspoken as ever, though, Eaton sees himself a good fit with crusty Cardinals coach Buddy Ryan, a defensive-minded coach.

“This is perfect. They’ve got a defensive coach who gets crazy sometimes, and now they’ve got a defensive player who IS crazy.”