Even without DeAndre Hopkins, the Arizona Cardinals receiving corps should be better than most fans believe they will be in 2023.
The Arizona Cardinals receiving unit took a hard but necessary hit when the team cut DeAndre Hopkins last month. But that’s no reason to believe this will be a bad unit in 2023. The Cardinals have a potential WR1 in Marquise Brown, and it shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest if Michael Wilson ends up starting opposite of him.
Sure, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch may be small, but they’ve both proved that they can produce when the opportunity comes knocking. And in Moore’s case, when he’s healthy.
So how good does the Cardinals receiving unit look in 2023 and what is their preseason letter grade? Keep reading for more information.
Arizona Cardinals will see ample productivity at receiver in 2023
While the Arizona Cardinals will be better off running the football more in 2023, they should also see more than their fair share of productivity in the receiving unit. Look for the simple-ground-based attack to open things up for the receivers, and thanks to the overall speed in the group, guys like Brown, Dortch, and Moore can easily gain at least a step on opponents.
This strategy would work in a few ways. If the Cards believe any of their backups or rookie Clayton Tune can throw the deep ball, it gives them a chance to try for and accomplish pulling the occasional big play.
But even if neither the backups nor Tune can get the ball downfield, Brown, Dortch, and Moore are still fast enough that opposing defenders must account for them at all times. This would open things up for big targets like Michael Wilson, or even tight ends Trey McBride and Zach Ertz (assuming he’s cleared to play).