Rookie linebacker Kevin Minter has signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals, the team said Monday.
The Cardinals selected Minter (6-0, 246) in Round Two (No. 45 overall). The pick first belonged to the Chargers, who traded up into Arizona’s spot (No. 38) to select Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o.
As a junior in 2012, Minter notched 130 tackles and earned team MVP honors for LSU. The 22-year-old Minter is expected to compete for playing time at inside linebacker.
Daryl Washington, the Cardinals’ top inside linebacker, will miss the first four games of the season on an NFL suspension, and he was arrested in May in on assault charges.