Arizona Cardinals: How each rookie factors in as a puzzle piece beyond 2023

Rounds 4-7: Part II

Kei’Trel Clark is one player I’ve been saying for a while now is more likely to start his NFL career on the practice squad. However, if the rookie has a good camp and if the Arizona Cardinals are going with those they’ve drafted above players they brought in from elsewhere, Clark could wind up as the CB4, or if Simmons ends up at the position, the CB5. However, he will have trouble when Garrett Williams gets the green light, so he could end 2023 on the practice squad, and work his way into the lineup next season after he hones his game. 

Dante Stills is an interesting piece, and despite being such a late-round pick, he’s a third wild card in this draft class because there is a legitimate chance for him to see playing time if he performs well over the summer. There is also a chance he doesn’t, and that the veterans ahead of him take center stage while he acclimates to the game. Either way, Stills will get his chance, and could very well be a key backup for the Cardinals now and well into the future. Best case scenario? He’s a late-round pick who became a starter either in 2023, or later in 2024. 

Overall, each pick listed above factors in as a puzzle piece either as an immediate starter, a contributor, or even a reserve piece with the potential to see an expanded role. The Arizona Cardinals are taking a route in forging a younger team, so it’s okay to expect this crop of players will play a major role for the Cards in the coming seasons.