3 reasons why Tyrann Mathieu should be NFL's highest-paid safety

Tyrann Mathieu is reportedly slated to become the NFL's highest-paid safety, a distinction that's certainly well deserved for the Arizona Cardinals star.

After three seasons, Mathieu quickly became the anchor of the Cardinals' star-studded defense, a unit that features Pro Bowlers Patrick Peterson, Calais Campbell, and Chandler Jones.

Related: Cardinals, Mathieu closing in on extension to make him highest-paid safety

Here are three reasons why Mathieu deserves a record-setting contract:

Premier cornerback and safety

Mathieu is the most versatile defensive back in the league and is one of the best cornerbacks and safeties in the NFL, depending on how you classify him. Nominally listed as a safety, Mathieu played 68 percent of his snaps at cornerback in 2015, per Pro Football Focus, grading out as the highest-rated corner per the service. The 24-year-old is the picturesque definition of the modern hybrid defensive back, and excels in all facets of the game.

Mathieu boasts otherworldly closing speed, a trait that's only matched by Seattle's Earl Thomas, and the Cardinals superstar uses it to his benefit in taking calculated risks at the line of scrimmage. As evidenced in the above clip, Mathieu is able to disrupt plays even in the rare instance where he initially makes a mistake post-snap.

Originally, Mathieu made a name for himself as an excellent free safety with a propensity to hang back and take away the deep route as a "center fielder". With every season, Mathieu's game continues to evolve and he's proven his worth, starring as a free safety, outside cornerback and in the slot.

Elite run stopper for position

At 5-foot-9 and 186 pounds, Mathieu's diminutive stature ought to be discounted as he initiates contact and wraps up much larger ball carriers with excellent form. Mathieu's superior ability against the run allows the Cardinals to open up their playbook and orchestrate the most unique and aggressive blitz packages in the NFL. Prior to his season-ending ACL injury, Mathieu was ranked first in run stop percentage, according to Pro Football Focus, and can operate fluently as a de facto linebacker.

Superior play-making ability

Mathieu is perpetually dangerous as he can turn a small mistake into a game-altering play in mere seconds. In an era replete with future Hall of Fame defensive backs, few players can routinely shift the tenor of the game like Mathieu, due to his supreme play-making skills.

What separates Mathieu from other elite defensive backs is his awareness, inherently knowing where the ball will be placed even with his back to the quarterback and/or receiver. With his head on a swivel, Mathieu turns seemingly innocuous intermediate to deep routes into calamitous outcomes for offenses.

In the above clip, Russell Wilson thinks Doug Baldwin is wide open after beating his man to the outside. Mathieu, however, sees where the ball is going the entire time and cuts in front of Baldwin. In a singular act of brilliance, Mathieu rotates towards the ball, spins away from Baldwin and sprints upfield for a 24-yard return. It's one of many plays that illustrates why Mathieu is the premier defensive back in the NFL and should be the highest-paid safety in the game.