Cardinals receivers vs. Titans defensive backs
DeAndre Hopkins is one of the NFL’s best receivers and he’s facing a TItans passing defense that ranked 29th in the league in 2020. Their top corner last season, Malcolm Butler, signed with the Cardinals earlier this year, but he has since landed on the reserve/retired list.
Butler’s departure forced Tennessee to make contingency plans by signing free-agent Janoris Jenkins and picking Caleb Farley in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
Jenkins is aging and he is probably a one-year solution. Farley is making a jump to the NFL after taking the 2020 season off. The rookie has also had injury concerns that lowered his stock before the 2021 draft. The Titans also allowed an astounding 36 touchdown passes in 2020, second-worst only to the Detroit Lions, who allowed 38.
And Hopkins isn’t the only threat on the Cardinals’ roster. Chase Edmonds is a dynamic hybrid running back capable of catching passes out of the backfield. A.J. Green has been to several Pro Bowls and he has a much better quarterback situation than he did during his final seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Arizona rookie receiver Rondale Moore showed off his value during this year’s preseason. And Christian Kirk, while he has not lived up to his billing, is a solid No. 3 receiver capable of making several big plays per game. Overall, the Cardinals have a massive advantage over Tennessee in the passing game.