5 hidden gems on the Arizona Cardinals roster who will surprise in 2023
By Sion Fawkes
2 - Jesse Luketa, OLB
The Arizona Cardinals surprised everyone when they had Jesse Luketa playing on both sides of the ball last Saturday. If you didn’t watch the game, Luketa got a few snaps at fullback, so he too could be joining the Cardinals rotation in the backfield besides his duties on special teams and at outside linebacker.
Speaking of outside linebacker/EDGE, Luketa looked good at the position throughout the preseason, showing us he can put up consistent production. If that trend continues into the regular season, expect the second-year pass rusher to log more than a few sacks in 2023.
3 - Jonathan Ledbetter, DE
Jonathan Ledbetter is that classic case of someone who was a complete no-name when he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019, only to work his way into relevancy. Between 2019 and 2021 Ledbetter saw just two games of action (one start) with the Miami Dolphins and Cardinals.
Last season, however, Ledbetter logged 14 games, three starts, 22 combined tackles, two for a loss, a pair of quarterback hits, and a sack. Not outstanding numbers, but consider this: He only played in 29% of all possible defensive snaps, and 275 total. Look for Ledbetter to exceed expectations this season, and if so, he could be a Cardinal for a long time.