AUSTIN — Texas Longhorns offensive tackle Christian Jones was an unquestioned leader for the 2023 squad this past season, but his journey to the NFL was never quite as clear as some of his teammates.

Any doubts were officially squashed on Saturday, as Jones saw his NFL dreams realized when the Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fifth round at pick No. 162 overall. He joined a Texas draft class that featured a program-record 11 selections.

Jones will now be blocking for former Oklahoma Sooners star quarterback Kyler Murray on an offense that also added Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick. Jones’ addition might not get recognized by the national media just yet, but his presence could prove crucial for a Cardinals team that’s looking to build around its 2024 draft class.

After Jones was drafted, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian offered up some high praise for his former offensive tackle.

“Because of the fact that he hasn’t play a ton of football relative to most guys, I think his best days are ahead of him,” Sarkisian said, per Texas Athletics. “His development is not complete, he can continue to grow as a player and inevitably be a really productive player at the professional level. The Cardinals are lucky to have him, as a player, teammate and awesome representative of their franchise in every way.”

“Arizona got a great player and person, and a guy with a very bright future in the NFL,” Sarkisian said.

Jones appeared in 61 games while making 48 starts during his six years at Texas. He was a Joe Moore Award semifinalist in 2023 and an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2022 and 2023 by the league’s coaches. He did this all while blocking for Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Jonathon Brooks.