The Arizona Cardinals roster has taken a bad rap in recent months for supposedly lacking adequate puzzle pieces on the roster.
The Arizona Cardinals drafted and signed a plethora of rookies who will factor in as puzzle pieces both now and in the near-future. It started three weeks ago on April 27th with Paris Johnson, and it didn’t end until they called up several intriguing priority free agents.
Below, we’re covering how each player the Cardinals drafted factors in as a puzzle piece with the team in 2023. This is not a projection of where each will play this season, but instead, how they will either immediately or ultimately factor in as major contributors. Let’s get started.
How each Arizona Cardinals rookie factors in as a major puzzle piece
Rounds 1-3
Paris Johnson is one of those rookies who will contribute the second the Arizona Cardinals put on the helmet and shoulder pads. This season, he’s a guard, but as you can already figure out, unless he doesn’t adapt well in the NFL, he will transform into a tackle.
B.J. Ojulari, regardless of whether he’s a defensive end or an outside linebacker, will start his career rotating on a pitch count. If he adapts quickly, look for him to end the season as the starter, and he will go into 2024 as the primary pass rusher. At worst, Ojulari will continue to rotate with the likes of Cam Thomas and Myjai Sanders, among others.
Garrett Williams must wait until he’s cleared for action. Once he crosses that hurdle, he will compete to be the Cards nickel or dime corner early. Look for him to excel and rise to the CB2 level, at the absolute least, by January. In a worst-case scenario, he enters 2024 as a nickelback, freeing star backer Isaiah Simmons to perhaps return to his natural position-assuming the Cards re-sign him.
Michael Wilson is at this point, the WR5 on the depth chart behind DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, and Greg Dortch. As for an overall pass catcher, you can also put him behind Zach Ertz and Trey McBride. Health is Wilson’s biggest concern, and if he can stay healthy, he could become a big target in a WR3 role by the end of 2023, with perhaps an expanded role in 2024.
Rounds 4-7: Part I
Jon Gaines II is an interesting piece. Drafted as a guard, he could begin the season as the backup to Hjalte Froholdt, Paris Johnson, and Will Hernandez, and he will see sporadic action if he has a good camp. Gaines could perhaps even wind up as the starting center at some point in the season if Froholdt struggles, or if he outplays the journeyman. At worst, he’s a backup heading into 2024, and at best, he’s the new starting center.
Clayton Tune is the wild card. He could realistically open the season as the Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback, or he could even be on the practice squad. It really depends on how he performs in camp, but since the Cards look to be going younger, he could end up getting the nod. It’s a mystery regarding where Tune will begin, but if Kyler Murray comes back strong, then he’s likely to enter 2024 and beyond as a QB2.
Like Tune, Owen Pappoe is another wild card. If Simmons sees time in the secondary and if Collins plays more edge and even defensive end (depending on the alignment), then Pappoe could see immediate playing time, assuming he has a good camp. From there, he could methodically work his way into seeing more time, and he’s yet another pick who can end 2023 as a starter. And once again, at worst, he’s a key backup.
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.