Most important position battle: right tackle. This could turn out to be a three-man competition. Arizona invested its third-round pick in this year’s draft on the Josh Jones product of the University of Houston, a possible robbery, considering it was seen by some as a first-round talent. He was one of the most effective pass blockers on FBS last year and could land as a left tackle on the road. Before the draft, the Cardinals brought veteran Marcus Gilbert back on a one-year contract after he missed all last season with a knee injury. The former Steeler has played only 12 games in the past three seasons, but he has plenty of starting experience. And then there is Kelvin Beachum, who signed last week after serving as the Jets’ starting left tackle for the past three seasons. For a team desperately in need of offensive line improvement, this competition should produce one.
Biggest force on the list: wide receiver. This was not an especially strong group last season. However, the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins changes it completely. Nuk has been good for approximately 100 sacks, 1,300 yards and 9 touchdowns in the past six years. Even at age 28, those numbers could rise on the Air Raid offense. Larry Fitzgerald is still hectic (75-804-4 in 2019) entering Year 17, but not at the Pro Bowl level. Christian Kirk does not look like it will become a WR1 and it is not a quality WR2 yet, but it is a good WR3. Mix second-year veterans Hakeem Butler, KeeSean Johnson and Andy Isabella, and you’ll have one of the best catching pools in the league.
Greater weakness: offensive line. The block, while improved, just wasn’t good enough last year for an offense that’s heavily based on passing game and led by a young QB with a tendency to hang on to the ball for too long. This has been a problem for the Cardinals for a while now, and most of the starting lineup on line O returns intact. Left tackle DJ Humphries has an upward trend as a pass guard after finally spending a full season last year. The next step for the best lineman in Arizona would be to make a Pro Bowl. Some members of this unit may need years of career for the group to be considered average.
Newcomer / player returning from injury to watch: DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver. Four months have passed since Arizona abandoned Houston in the agreement to acquire Hopkins, and it’s still hard to believe that it happened. I know that Texans got a capital draft in the deal in addition to David Johnson, but Johnson, beyond being a 28-year-old broker, has provided diminishing returns in the two seasons since he signed a three-year contract extension. $ 39 million. Hopkins, meanwhile, is one of the top NFL receivers, right at his best and under contract until 2022. He will serve as a safety net and a major threat to Kyler Murray, who was one of the game’s players. the best passersby in the field as rookies. Their connection could make a big difference in the win-loss column for a team that lost five games by seven points or less last year and had another draw ending.
