Cardinals fans were brought to tears seeing Michael Wilson turn into a wide receiver No. 1 when given the opportunity. After breaking out in a season where he hit 1,000 yards for the first time, the sky was the limit for a player who wasn’t necessarily considered highly touted coming out of college.
Selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Wilson would have to earn each rep, and he began to do so over time. Starting off as a depth piece at wide receiver, which forced him to see an underwhelming rookie season, Wilson slowly began to turn the page in the back end of his second year, where he finished with over 700 receiving yards.
2025, as mentioned, was the season when he really took off, especially when one of the Cardinals' key pieces, Marvin Harrison Jr., was injured. In five games, Wilson recorded over 500 receiving yards and proved that he could be the guy if given the full-time opportunity.
2026 will pose a new challenge for the 26-year-old, as a likely No. 1 option, he will be matched up against some tough competition.
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The NFC West is as talented as ever, and as much as we love to talk about how the Cardinals are bottom feeders, it is by no means an understatement.
Wilson will be facing corners such as Los Angeles’ Trey McDuffie, who was acquired in exchange for a flurry of draft picks. He will also be squaring off against Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon and San Francisco’s Deomodore Lenoir.
How will Wilson answer the call?
