Despite signing A.J. Green, Cardinals must address receiver in the draft

The Arizona Cardinals signed wide receiver A.J. Green to a one-year deal worth eight million dollars. Is this the only move at receiver this off-season?

Kliff Kingsbury’s offense lacked reliable playmakers in 2020 outside of DeAndre Hopkins. Christian Kirk flashed but lacked consistency, while Andy Isabella was an overall let down. A.J. Green provides Kyler Murray with another catch radius extender at receiver.

Green was targeted 104 but only caught 47 of them for 523 yards and three touchdowns. Despite being on the wrong side of 30 years old, Green still has some left in his tank. This signing should not deter the Cardinals from selecting a young receiver in a talented and deep draft.

During the season, the offense became incredibly predictable as they relied on Hopkins far too often. This issue hurt the offense’s overall effectiveness down the stretch, a reason they missed the playoffs.

Adding more competition and youthful talent to the wide receiver room is never a negative. Especially when you are lacking in that position. A healthy and motivated A.J. Green could assume the number two role behind Hopkins with Kirk taking over slot snaps. The 4th and 5th spots on the depth chart should be an open competition. Keesean Johnson and Isabella come to mind as rostered receivers in line for more opportunities, but a rookie may push them for snaps.

Only two receivers surpassed the 500-yard mark for the season, this must improve drastically heading into 2021 to make the playoffs. This draft class is full of talented pass catchers that can inject youth and juice into this offense.

Depending on the desired draft plan, a few mid to late-round prospects to consider, Josh Palmer, Tamorrion Terry, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and Frank Darby to name a few.

General Manager Steve Kiem should prioritize adding another receiver in next month’s draft because Green is not a long-term answer and it is bleak behind Hopkins.