Power ranking the Arizona Cardinals’ bolstered group of receiving talent.
After a lengthy off-season, the Arizona Cardinals receiving corps looks radically different. Instead of sitting on his hands, general manager Steve Keim recognized the weakness in his team and addressed it. He added three rookies in the draft, signed an undrafted free agent, and added two veterans.
The culmination of the additions is that of a much-improved receiver room. Instead of the position being a weakness, the team is infused with youth and talent from the slot to the outside. The result of this could also mean some familiar faces will be out of the desert.
With that being said, a ranking of the Cardinals’ receivers is in store. The team has 12 in place, but only ten made the cut for these power rankings. The two unranked receivers are far from guaranteed to make the team, but still could.
U/R. A.J. Richardson
College career stats: 99 receptions, 1,474 yards, 11 touchdowns, 64.7% catch rate
A.J. Richardson was productive at Boise State and has a solid frame at 6-foot and 212-pounds, but he’s an outsider to make the roster. His pro day results include a 4.63 second 40-yard-dash, 33.5-inch vertical, 110-inch broad jump, and 7.12 three-cone-drill; below average numbers.
However, he found ways to be productive at Boise State and is well-rounded. Ultimately, nothing stands out about Richardson’s skill set, other than perhaps his quickness. He’s a bit of an unknown at the time but could turn heads in training camp to earn a practice squad shot to hone his game.
U/R. Malachi Dupre
NFL career stats: 1 game played, no recorded stats
After being drafted in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers out of LSU, Malachi Dupre was released and has bounced around practice squads. He’s now on his fifth team in two seasons, but he’s yet to record a target as a receiver.
Dupre hasn’t offered much in special teams either. He hasn’t recorded a snap for the game’s third unit. But the LSU product does have upside as he performed well at the combine to the tune of a 4.52 second 40-yard-dash, 39.5-inch vertical, 135-inch broad jump, and 7.19 three-cone-drill. The receiver could find a spot on another team, but it’s likely not the Cardinals.