The Arizona Cardinals may need a new receiver in 2023. So who would be the best fits in the new system? Here are the top five.
The DeAndre Hopkins Saga will ultimately dictate whether the Arizona Cardinals look for a receiver in free agency. If Hopkins remains in the cardinal and white, then you can disregard this list. But if general manager Monti Ossenfort moves the veteran receiver, expect him to sign at least a stopgap for 2023.
As with our previous rankings, the following top five receivers are ranked in a way that they would best serve the Cardinals, so this isn’t a list of the overall best players at the position. Keep reading to find out who made the cut.
Top 5 free agent receivers for the Arizona Cardinals
5 - Robert Woods
We talked about Woods a couple of times already, and while he’s the same age as Hopkins, he will command a smaller salary. While Hopkins is still entrenched in his prime, Woods appears to be on the back nine of his career, having recorded just 98 receptions in the previous two seasons.
He is, however, a savvy veteran with more size than the likes of Greg Dortch, Marquise Brown, and Rondale Moore. So if the Arizona Cardinals would like a stopgap, don’t be surprised if they ink Woods to a one-year tender.
4 - D.J. Chark
At 6’4, 205, Chark has ideal size, which bumps him up a slot on this list. However, he had a modest 30 receptions in 11 games this season, the third-lowest of his career. Chark has also only played in 15 contests over the past two seasons.
However, he will turn 27 on September 23rd, so he could have a lot more football left. Chark also had two solid campaigns in Jacksonville in 2019 and 2020, notching 126 receptions in that span.
It’s more than clear that he can play, but can Chark return to form? If he signs in the desert, the Arizona Cardinals will be banking on it.
3 - Allen Lazard
Clearly, this list is favoring receivers who display ideal size, and at 6’5, 227lb, Lazard has a borderline tight end build. But he’s also productive, having hauled in 60 receptions last season and 100 over the past two years.
Further, he would be a perfect target in the red zone, as he’s amassed 14 touchdown receptions in that same span. Lazard will never be a superstar at the position, but he’d make a decent WR2 lining up opposite of Marquise Brown.
2- Jakobi Meyers
It would be tough seeing Meyers playing anywhere but in New England. But if he’s still available by mid-March, then the Arizona Cardinals need to take a long-hard look. He’s familiar with Monti Ossenfort, having spent his rookie season with the Pats, the final year the Cards general manager spent as the team’s Director of Scouting.
But familiarity isn’t the reason Meyers is so high on this list. His 150 receptions and 8 touchdowns have catapulted him to the #2 spot. Hopefully, he decides to test the free agent market.
1 - Juju Smith-Schuster
Like Meyers, Smith-Schuster may very well end up re-signing with his current team, the Kansas City Chiefs. But if he’s out there, Ossenfort needs to make a bid before anyone else.
Smith-Schuster has been a household name since he entered the NFL, and it doesn’t matter if he’s played in Pittsburgh or Kansas City, the former USC product can produce wherever he goes.
This past season, he hauled in 78 catches and 3 scores. In 2018, he hit triple-digits with 111 receptions, and followed that performance up after an injury-riddled 2019 season with 97 catches in 2020.
Overall, Smith-Schuster has had his fair share of injury concerns. But when healthy, he is one of the better receivers in the NFL. No, he’s not all-world, but Smith-Schuster has enough talent to be a long-term WR1 in this league.
If any name has the highest likelihood of securing a long-term deal on this list, it’s him. But as mentioned, the Chiefs may want to bring him back for yet another Super Bowl run.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)