Cardinals' Peterson compares Mathieu to Von Miller

Tyrann Mathieu is one of the few NFL players who defies conventional positions.

He's nominally listed as a safety, but often plays linebacker or slot corner as the leader of the Arizona Cardinals' secondary.

In an interview with The MMQB's Tim Rohan, Mathieu drew high praise from his Cardinals teammate and best friend, Patrick Peterson.

"He's so elusive at the point of attack," Peterson said of Mathieu. "The way he can move and control his body to get around the blocker, I haven’t seen nothing like it. He kind of has that Von Miller presence, but as a nickel back, blitzing. He can bend his body certain ways. He can beat a guy with speed, power."

Mathieu signed a five-year, $62.5-million extension in August after lengthy negotiations with general manager Steve Keim. During the summer, Mathieu said he wanted a comparable deal to Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, who signed a nearly identical, five-year, $62-million extension in September 2015.

"I saw his deal and I was like, that’s the money I want,” Mathieu said. "Playmaker money, if that makes sense."