Arizona Cardinals young wide receivers proving their worth

The Arizona Cardinals have a stable of young wideouts who’ve been performing at a high level during the current preseason

The installation of the Arizona Cardinals new offense this offseason has been a work in progress. In the three exhibition games that the squad has played in August, Kliff Kingsbury‘s “Air Raid” scoring attack has resembled a roller coaster ride. There’s one area of the unit, however, that has played incredibly well in each of the matchups.

The Cards wide receiver position has shown up in a big way over the past three weeks. General manager Steve Keim has brought a bevy of new pass-catchers to the desert in 2019. It’s a youthful crew that’s been performing at an elite level in both training camp and the preseason contests.

Sixth-round draft pick KeeSean Johnson has been outstanding for the Cardinals since he joined the club in April. The Fresno State product has been precise in his route-running, and has shown excellent hands as well. Johnson leads all Arizona wideouts in both receptions (12) and receiving yards (137) this summer.

Another pleasant surprise for the Cards has been former Los Angeles Ram Pharoh Cooper. The 24-year old, who was acquired primarily for his kick-returning ability, has also impressed as a pass-receiver. Cooper is averaging a more than respectable 15.3 yards per catch on the eight passes he has hauled in for Big Red.

Free agent pickup Damiere Byrd has also caught the attention of the Cardinals coaching staff. The 5’9, 180 pounder has tallied seven receptions for 81 yards, and has flashed tremendous speed while doing so. Byrd was on the receiving end of a beautiful 33-yard pass from quarterback Kyler Murray this past Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Trent Sherfield, an undrafted free agent from last year, is also making a strong push for a roster spot. The 23-year old has registered five catches for 84 yards, and has found the end zone twice. Both of Sherfield’s touchdowns were highlight-worthy scores that came off of the arm of backup signal-caller Brett Hundley.

Second-round selection Andy Isabella was drafted because of his world-class speed, and he has not disappointed in that department. The 5’9,188 pounder has managed just two receptions, but has averaged an eye-popping 33.5 yards per catch. Isabella has one touchdown to his credit, and could’ve added another one if Hundley hadn’t led him too much on a fly pattern versus Minnesota.

Kudos to Keim and the personnel department for assembling such a gifted batch of wide receivers. The sudden influx of talent at the spot will certainly present some tough decisions for Arizona’s front office on cutdown day. Nevertheless, having too many capable pass-catchers to choose from is a much better problem than not having enough.