Trio of Louisville football defenders selected in NFL draft; Malik Cunningham, others sign

YaYa Diaby was the first Louisville football player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 19th pick in the third round, No. 82 overall, on Friday night. It's the third time in four years at least one Cardinal has been drafted.

Linebacker Yasir Abdullah was the second Louisville player off the board. The Jacksonville Jaguars took him Saturday with the first pick of the fifth round. The Arizona Cardinals took cornerback Kei'Trel Clark, the third U of L player selected, with the third pick of the sixth round.

After the draft, quarterback Malik Cunningham signed an undrafted free agent deal with the New England Patriots and other former U of L players also reached deals.

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YaYa Diaby, DE

Drafted by: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (third round, No. 82 overall)

Diaby played an integral role in the Cardinals’ 2022 defense that ranked top 5 nationally in fumbles recovered (15), sacks (50) and turnovers forced (30). The All-ACC third-team pick totaled 37 tackles, 14 for loss, nine sacks and two fumble recoveries.

A native of Atlanta, Ga., and three-year starter for U of L, Diaby is the Cards' first defensive lineman to be drafted since defensive end Treyvon Young was selected by the Rams during the sixth round of the 2018 draft.

Yasir Abdullah, LB/Edge

Drafted by: Jacksonville Jaguars (fifth round, No. 136 overall)

The Miramar, Florida, native returns home, albeit to North Florida now with the Jaguars. The 2022 All-ACC first-team choice recorded 63 tackles, which included a team-leading 14 ½ for loss, a U of L- and ACC-best 9 ½ sacks, four pass breakups and two interceptions as a senior. Abdullah ranked second all-time at Louisville in tackles for loss (43) and eighth in sacks (23 ½). The Jaguars — who took two linebackers and a defensive end with three of their first six picks — struggled getting to the quarterback last year, ranking 26th in the league in sacks. Abdullah, who was a Swiss Army knife for the Cardinals because of his versatility and speed on the field, could help in that department.

Abdullah is U of L's first linebacker drafted since 2015 when OLB Lorenzo Mauldin was picked in the third round by the New York Jets and OLB Deiontrez Mount was taken by Tennessee in the sixth.

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Kei’Trel Clark, CB

Drafted by: Arizona Cardinals (sixth round, No. 180 overall)

Clark heads to the next level after an up-and-down college career. He made the All-ACC third team after totaling four pass breakups, an interception and 51 tackles, four for loss, as a 12-game starter. The 2022 season was Clark’s first season back after tearing his ACL halfway through the 2021 season.

Cornerback was a position of need for Arizona, which took Syracuse's Garrett Williams in the third round. Clark, a Richmond, Virginia, native, ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL combine but is not the biggest corner at 5-foot-10, 181 pounds.

Malik Cunningham, QB

Signed by: New England Patriots, undrafted free agent

Despite getting drafted by the Birmingham Stallions during the third round of the USFL Draft in February, Cunningham kept his sights set on the NFL. He reportedly signed an undrafted free agent deal minutes after the NFL draft, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, joining the quarterback room in New England behind starter Mac Jones. Cunningham's deal includes a reported $30,000 signing bonus and $170,000 base salary.

Cunningham, who measured 6-foot, 192 pounds at the combine, is Louisville's all-time leader in touchdowns with 120 while tying Lamar Jackson for most career rushing touchdowns (50). In his final season, he recorded 1,568 yards and eight TDs on 136-for-218 passing while adding 565 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns on 114 carries. He played in10 games after missing two with a concussion and shoulder injury and opting out of the bowl game.

Other U of L football players signed as undrafted free agents

• Trevor Reid, OL: Philadelphia Eagles (per Justin Melo, NFL Draft Network)

• Tiyon Evans, RB: Los Angeles Rams (per Justin Melo, NFL Draft Network)

• Tyler Hudson, WR: Los Angeles Rams (per Louisville Cardinals)

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football players in NFL draft 2023: YaYa Diaby to Tampa Bay