Arizona Cardinals First Quarter Awards: The best offensive, defensive player, and rookie

The Arizona Cardinals have been watchable over the first four weeks of the 2023 season, so that in and of itself deserves recognition.

Arizona Cardinals v San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals v San Francisco 49ers | Michael Owens/GettyImages
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Michael Wilson
Arizona Cardinals v San Francisco 49ers | Ezra Shaw/GettyImages

Rookie of the First Quarter

So far, the Arizona Cardinals 2023 draft class has seen plenty of its talent contribute early, including Paris Johnson Jr., Kei’Trel Clark, and Dante Stills. But no one has performed better than Michael Wilson, who has already experienced a career game just four contests into his pro career. 

Across the first three weeks of the season, we saw Wilson show flashes, but he wasn’t as heavily involved in the offense. On Sunday, however, Wilson snagged seven receptions for 76 yards, and two touchdowns, showing the NFL universe that the Cardinals may have found their next big-play receiver.

The Arizona Cardinals may have struggled as a franchise dating back to their days in Chicago, but wide receiver hasn’t been an issue in recent memory. NFL greats like Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin enjoyed stellar rookie campaigns, and it looks like Wilson could join them if he keeps this up.  

(Statistics provided by ESPN.com)

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