Cardinals 53-man roster predictions following the 2022 NFL Draft

Safeties (4)

Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Deionte Thompson, James Wiggins

This is the most stable unit on defense, with Baker and Jalen Thompson developing into one of the NFL’s most dangerous dynamic duos at safety. Baker is a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro in the prime of his career and Jalen Thompson had an incredible bounceback season in 2021.

Deionte Thompson is mainly a special teamer who played in just seven percent of the defensive snaps last season. However, he is one of the most reliable backups on the team, playing in roughly one-third of all defensive snaps in 2019 and 2020.

Wiggins played in 35 special teams snaps last season and is most likely to see an increased role on special teams in 2022. Barring injuries, don’t expect Wiggins to play a key role on defense. The Cardinals could end up signing a safety in the event that the position gets hit with an injury bug.

Overall, this position group may be the best on the team heading into 2022 with two key starters, one key backup, and a potential special-teamer. It is also realistic to think both Baker and Jalen Thompson will post All-Pro numbers.