The San Diego Chargers selected former Arizona All-American cornerback Antoine Cason with the 27th overall pick in the first round of Saturday’s NFL draft.

Cason, this year’s recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation’s best defensive back, was the fifth cornerback to be drafted.

The Buffalo Bills drafted Troy’s Leodis McKelvin with the 11th overall pick and the Arizona Cardinals drafted Tennessee State’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with the 16th overall pick, marking the first two corners to get taken.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Kansas’ Aqib Talib with the 20th overall pick and the Dallas Cowboys traded up to the 25 spot to grab South Florida’s Mike Jenkins.

Cason said Thursday he was hoping to be a first-round pick even though he had no preference in terms of what team he was hoping to be drafted by.

“”I don’t know what team, it doesn’t really matter,”” Cason said. “”I am just ready to get an opportunity to play football.””

Cason’s agent, Ron Slavin of BTI Sports Advisors, said before the draft he felt that Cason was the best cornerback available.

“”I am not just saying this because I am his agent, but I believe that these teams that pass on Antoine are going to be the same as Oregon and Washington State that passed up on him coming out (of high school) and are going to regret not taking him,”” Slavin said in a phone interview. “”Instead of being an All-American, he is going to be a Pro Bowler.””

Check back with the Daily Wildcat on Monday for more coverage of this year’s NFL draft.