It wouldn’t have come as a shock that an overall evaluation of the Arizona Cardinals’ roster last season placed them near the bottom of the league.
ESPN’s Mike Clay had indeed ranked them second-to-last, and Arizona’s subsequent 4-13 record made his assessment appear justified.
Despite the offseason changes and the start of Monti Ossenfort’s era as general manager, the Cardinals haven’t moved far in Clay’s view, as he once again ranks them 31st in his annual roster evaluations—a position that contradicts expectations that Arizona should take a significant step forward in 2024.
Clay’s annual rankings, which assess every NFL positional group, place Arizona in a similar spot to last season. The rankings for each group reveal some surprising evaluations, particularly given the hope that the Cardinals would progress with another draft class ready to make an impact.
Kyler Murray’s ranking as the 17th-best quarterback reflects a belief that, despite losing some luster during the Kliff Kingsbury era and his ACL recovery, he’s poised to perform better under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. While questions remain about the backup situation, some argue that ranking Murray 17th might be conservative given his potential.
In the running back category, Arizona is ranked 20th, up from 27th last season, primarily due to James Conner’s contributions, despite his injury history. The addition of Trey Benson and the continued development of Emari Demercado also add depth to the position.
The receiving corps, however, sees a slight dip to 23rd from 22nd, with Marvin Harrison Jr. expected to make a significant impact, though uncertainties remain about other receivers like Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch.
Tight end Trey McBride has earned some believers, pushing the group’s ranking to 13th, up from 17th. Meanwhile, the offensive line has been harshly judged, dropping to 31st from 27th, despite a solid performance last season. The loss of D.J. Humphries and the pressure on Paris Johnson Jr. as he moves to left tackle contribute to concerns.
Arizona’s defensive front continues to struggle in Clay’s rankings. The interior defensive line ranks 31st, despite new additions like Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols, and the edge rushers are 30th, unchanged from last year. The off-ball linebackers also see a slight decline to 28th, despite the presence of productive players like Kyzir White and Mack Wilson Sr.
In the secondary, the cornerbacks are ranked 31st, reflecting concerns about the unit’s youth and inexperience, despite the potential of players like Sean Murphy-Bunting. Conversely, the safety position remains the team’s strongest, ranked 7th, with Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson expected to play key roles in compensating for the roster’s other weaknesses.
Overall, Clay’s assessment leaves Arizona ranked 31st out of 32 teams, signaling that, despite some areas of promise, the Cardinals still face significant challenges heading into the 2024 season.
