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Arizona Cardinals: 5 second-year players looking to contribute

By Kyler Burd

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 22: Defensive back Byron Murphy #33 of the Arizona Cardinals catches a pass prior to the NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 22: Defensive back Byron Murphy #33 of the Arizona Cardinals catches a pass prior to the NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – OCTOBER 6: KeeSean Johnson #19 of the Arizona Cardinals lines up for a play during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Arizona defeated Cincinnati 26-23. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – OCTOBER 6: KeeSean Johnson #19 of the Arizona Cardinals lines up for a play during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Arizona defeated Cincinnati 26-23. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Coming out of training camp last year one rookie wide receiver seemed to be a standout. That was KeeSean Johnson.

After putting up great numbers in his senior season at Fresno State, KeeSean Johnson was taken by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. He impressed throughout rookie training camps and OTAs, looking to be a component of the Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense in his first year.

Unfortunately, the dreams of a rookie KeeSean Johnson taking on a large contributing role did not pan out last season. Eerily similar to Isabella, Johnson ended the season with only 187 yards and 1 touchdown.

It is still unclear why Johnson slowly slipped out of the starting role that he began the season in. What is clear is that the Cardinals coaching staff slowly lost trust in him, often listing him as a healthy scratch by the middle of the season.

Andy Isabella now seems to be the most likely of the second-year wide receivers to find a role on the team next year due to his elite speed. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, and the spots taken by Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, Johnson faces an uphill battle to becoming a contributor in 2020.

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