The Arizona Cardinals are halfway through training camp and even have the Hall of Fame to look forward to this week in their Thursday matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
While preseason games will provide more clarity to roster battles, Arizona did release its first depth chart of the season. Factoring in the depth chart as well as reports coming out of camp, here are the winners (and losers) so far.
Winner: Darius Robinson
The Cardinals' No. 27 overall selection in 2024 is finally looking the part.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis pointed out that Darius Robinson is "rushing better" in both the run game and pass rush. The latter is an especially significant development as Arizona's defensive line needs a boost to fill the void of Calais Campbell.
Outside of trade candidate Josh Sweat, they really don't have enough pieces to rely on to generate pressure on the quarterback. A healthy Robinson would go a long way to addressing that thanks to his flexibility on the line, and we're seeing that impact at camp.
Loser: Trey Benson
Just look at the Cardinals' initial depth chart, and it's easy to see that Trey Benson is on the wrong side of what is suddenly a crowded running back room.
Arizona's steep offseason investments in Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier made it clear that one of Benson or James Conner would be the odd man out in this logjam, and right now that appears to be Benson. If he's unable to break through, look for him to be a potential trade candidate.
Winner: Kendrick Bourne
The Cardinals had a WR3 hole to fill alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Heading into camp, it was uncertain whether that would be Kendrick Bourne or someone else, though he's done a great job of solidifying his spot.
Bourne's performance at training camp is not only a win for him but also for Arizona, as it appears they landed a true WR3 this offseason.
Loser: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
Arizona drafted Dadrion Taylor-Demerson with a fourth-round pick in 2024. That investment was expected to pay off this season as they looked for him to fill the starting safety position as a replacement following Jalen Thompson's free agency departure.
That surprisingly has yet to be the case, with Arizona's depth chart listing Andrew Wingard as the starting safety alongside veteran star Budda Baker.
The silver lining is Taylor-Demerson should still have an opportunity thanks to the Cardinals' three-safety looks. Still, the expectation was that he would've already solidified his starting spot, and that has yet to materialize.
Winner: Jayden Williams
The Cardinals drafted right tackle Jayden Williams with a seventh-round pick, which typically would signal he's on the bubble to even make the roster. Williams has already exceeded expectations by proving he's not your typical late-round flyer and is making an impact at camp.
In fact, he's ascended the depth chart to now the team's second-string tackle behind Elijah Wilkinson. Sure, some of that is a sign that Arizona's O-Line still needs to be addressed. But it's also a sign that Williams has all but secured his spot on this roster.
Loser: Jacoby Brissett
In some ways, Jacoby Brissett is a winner. At least financially, as he reached a reworked deal with the Cardinals that is worth $15.5 million guaranteed with up to $21 million in incentives. Training camp performance is another story, as he's showing exactly why Arizona was reluctant to pay him more in the first place.
Brissett had one bad practice day in particular on Sunday in which he threw two interceptions and a few other questionable decisions that prevented the Cardinals' first-team offense from finding a rhythm. The fact that they paid Brissett this amount suggests he's their QB1 heading into the season regardless of camp.
Still, the first half of training camp has only further confirmed what Cardinals fans already knew: this is nothing more than a stopgap solution.
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