Former WSU safety Deone Bucannon is thriving in his new position with the Arizona Cardinals.

Bucannon, a 2013 graduate, built quite the resume during his playing career at WSU.

In his junior year, Bucannon lead the team in tackles (106), fifth-most in the Pac-12, lead the team in interceptions (4), and earned All-Pac-12 second team honors.

As a senior, Bucannon recorded 114 tackles, forced three fumbles and intercepted six passes. His efforts on the field were noticed around all of college football, as he earned First Team All-Pac-12 and First Team All-American honors and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

While Bucannon gained the attention of NFL scouts, there were still questions about his skill set as a defensive back. Scouts were unsure of his ability playing in zone coverage and covering long distance range. Scouts also thought Bucannon needed to improve his route recognition to be ready to play in the NFL, according to Bleacher Report.

Initially, NFL.com listed Bucannon as a potential fourth or fifth round draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft due to his listed weaknesses. On draft day, the Arizona Cardinals thought differently of the draft predictions, drafting Bucannon in the first round with the 27th pick.

In Bucannon’s rookie season, he recorded the fourth most tackles on the team with 75. He had two sacks; a forced fumbling and fumble recover as well. Bucannon’s contributions on the field nabbed the attention of the Pro Football Writers of America, naming him to the All-Rookie Team as a safety.

While Bucannon excelled in his first year, the Cardinals had a lot of veteran safeties on the roster. With Rashad Johnson, Tony Jefferson and Tyrann Mathieu locking down Arizona’s backfield, Arizona’s coaching staff decided to tinker with Bucannon’s position.

Arizona liked Bucannon’s versatility. His speed, instincts in coverage and physicality allowed Bucannon to take on a new position going into the 2015 season called the dollar linebacker position.

The dollar linebacker or ‘moneybacker’ position is a hybrid linebacker position where the player can line up in the box, or drop back in coverage.

“I’ve heard of something like it, but I’ve never seen a moneybacker,” said Bucannon in an interview with NFL.com. “Usually it’s a rover or a landshark or something like that.”

Bucannon’s role in his new position proved to be very effective for Arizona. Bucannon always thought he would move back to the safety position but after the 2015 season, coaches liked his spot in the defense.

“He is so good at what he is doing, we’ll leave him right there,” said Arizona Head Coach Bruce Arians in an interview with azcardinals.com. “He is such a unique player at that position, to be able to play linebacker at his size, he just gives us such an advantage. We’re in nickel defense all the time and he gives us such a fast blitzer, fast player to the football, and he can cover tight ends.”

Bucannon racked up 127 total tackles in the 2015 season, leading the team and tied for the team lead with 17 tackles for loss. Bucannon also forced three fumbles, recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass for a touchdown. Bucannon’s presence in the box was a key factor for the Cardinals defending opponents run game. Last season, Arizona’s defense allowed 91.2 yards per game, sixth best in the NFL, according to NFL.com.

Bucannon is no longer the same type of player Cougar fans may recall seeing during his time at WSU. When Bucannon was a sophomore, he weighed 169 pounds. Coaches at WSU knew it would be difficult for him to play safety at that weight. Bucannon has since put in countless hours in the weight room.

Now, entering his third season with the Cardinals, Bucannon weighs 220 pounds, up about 20 pounds from when Bucannon left WSU. He has increased his weight about 10 pounds from last season, which will help him in the dollar linebacker position, as inside linebackers typically weigh between 230-250 pounds.

Bucannon and former defensive coordinator for the Cardinals Todd Bowles set a trend in the NFL by creating a hybrid position. Bucannon credits Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor and former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu for setting the idea of safeties moving up close to the line of scrimmage.

Though Bucannon has flourished in his position, he still considers himself a safety.

“He hates to admit, but he’s a linebacker at heart,” said Cardinal’s inside linebacker Kevin Minter in an interview with azcentral.com. “His tenacity to just go knock something out, it’s a linebacker through and through.”

Bucannon’s versatility on the field has proven his worth as a first round pick. He is emerging as an elite defensive player, and fits in the Arizona defensive scheme perfectly.

After putting up the statistics he did last season and gaining weight over the offseason, there is no reason to doubt that Bucannon will have another stellar year for the Cardinals.