The Big Red Zone continues its series by looking back on each of the 28 St. Louis Cardinals drafts (1960-87). This installment focuses on the 1986 Draft, which was held April 29-30 in New York.

Going into the 1986 NFL Draft, Gene Stallings knew defensive end was a priority for the Cardinals.

The team Stallings had inherited after succeeding Jim Hanifan as the team’s head coach had put up some disturbing defensive numbers in 1985: 34 touchdown passes allowed (most in the NFL), 13 interceptions (fewest), and 32 sacks (second to last). Only 13 of those sacks came from defensive ends.

More concerning was the uncertainty about Curtis Greer, the Big Red’s best pass rusher. Greer, who had started every game but one in the previous four seasons and had led the team with seven sacks in ’85, had undergone surgery immediately after the season for a knee that had bothered him most of the year. There was no guarantee Greer would be ready to go when the ’86 season started. (In fact, after having some cleanup surgery during training camp, he missed the entire season).  

Stallings had a specific player in mind for the Cardinals to take with the fifth pick in the draft: Alabama defensive end Jon Hand. But Indianapolis spoiled Stallings’ plan by taking Hand with the fourth pick.

“I was hoping that we were going to be able to get a defensive end early,” Stallings said after the draft. “The one we wanted (Hand) wasn’t there. And we weren’t going to take one just for the sake of taking one.”

So instead of staying the course and drafting one of the other top defensive ends still available, such as Oklahoma State’s Leslie O’Neal—(remember that name)—the Cardinals took Michigan State linebacker Anthony Bell, a move that surprised many NFL scouts as well as Bell himself. 

“I was shocked,” Bell said. For emphasis, he repeated himself. “I was shocked.”

Although Bell would be a steady player for the Cardinals for five years, he would not be a big playmaker.

The Cardinals made another curious move with their second-round pick (32^nd overall). Ignoring the adage that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, they took UCLA kicker John Lee. Although Lee had been an accomplished kicker in college, much like Steve Little had been before St. Louis drafted him in the first round in 1977, he would quickly flame out in the NFL.  

As it would turn out, the Big Red’s most productive player in the ’86 draft would be Vai Sikahema, a 10^th-round running back from BYU who became a stellar special teams player in the NFL.

1986 St. Louis Cardinals Draft

rd-overall	player name	position	college
1-5	Anthony Bell	LB	Michigan St.
2-32	John Lee	K	UCLA
3-59	Gene Chilton	C	Texas
4-89	Carl Carter	DB	Texas Tech
5-116	Jeff Tupper	DE	Oklahoma
7-170	Eric Swanson	WR	Tennessee
8-201	Ray Brown	G	Arkansas St.
9-277	Kent Kafentzis	DB	Hawaii
10-254	Vai Sikahema	RB	BYU
10-255	Wes Smith	WR	Texas A&M-Commerce
11-281	Wayne Dillard	LB	Alcorn St.
12-312	Kent Austin	QB	Mississippi

The first linebacker selected in the 1986 draft, Anthony Bell played two seasons for the Cardinals in St. Louis and three more after the team moved to Arizona. During that five-year span, he played in 76 games and started 60. He excelled infrequently, as was reflected in his two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and 11 sacks. Following his time with the Cardinals, he played two more years in the NFL: one with Detroit and one with the Raiders. And remember Leslie O’Neal? A 1985 NCAA unanimous All-American who was drafted by San Diego, he played 13 seasons in the NFL, was voted to six Pro Bowls, and had 132.5 sacks.

John Lee set NCAA records for most field goals made (84) and highest field-goal percentage (.848), but he failed to make a transition into the pros. In his only season in the NFL, Lee played in 11 games, made eight of 13 field goal attempts (only one of four from beyond 40 yards), and missed three of 17 extra points. In addition, his kickoffs were short and low. Despite all of that, Lee was the default selection at kicker on the NFL’s 1986 All-Rookie Team.

Carl Carter, whose biggest asset was his speed (he was a member of Texas Tech’s All-American 400-meter relay team in 1986), played four season for the Cardinals as a defensive back and special teams contributor. He played in 57 games, making 47 starts, and intercepted seven passes, including a career-high three in 1988.

Although he became a staple at guard for 19 seasons, Ray Brown spent only three of those seasons with the Cardinals. During that time, he played in 33 games but made only eight starts. He also played for Washington (1989-95, 2004-05), San Francisco (1996-2001) and Detroit (2002-03). He was voted to just one Pro Bowl (2001) but was a durable O-lineman who missed only three games from 1993 to 2005.

The first Tongan to play in the NFL, Vai Sikahema was an immediate special teams star. As a rookie, he had a league-leading 522 punt return yards and two touchdowns. In 1987, he led the league in both punt returns (44) and punt return yards (550), and scored another TD. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’86 and ’87 and made the All-Pro Team in ’87. Sikahema, who played five seasons with the Big Red, still holds career franchise records for punt return yards (2,152), is second in punt returns (193), and fourth in average return yards (11.2). As a kick returner, he is second in returns (164) and fourth in return yards (3,501). He also rushed 57 times for 215 yards, and caught 40 passes for 395 yards and one touchdown. Following his time with the Cardinals, Sikahema played with Green Bay (1991) and Philadelphia (1992-93).