The Arizona Cardinals' secondary is right in the middle of a youth movement. This has been known for quite some time, as nearly everyone is still on their rookie contract. Led by veteran Budda Baker, he will have to ensure everyone on that unit is on edge, as the Cardinals will be facing some of the toughest in-division wide receiver competition that they’ve seen in years.
Aside from Baker, Arizona’s secondary consists of Will Johnson, Max Melton, and Denzel Burke. All three of them have a maximum of two years of experience. Coming off a three-win season in a division that saw the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers all win 12+ games can be unsettling.
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The Rams, led by Matthew Stafford, have the most dynamic wide receiver duo in football at the moment. With Davante Adams and Puka Nacua on each side of the line, it is a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare. Not to mention the fact that the Rams also have Terrance Ferguson at tight-end, and he’s looking to add onto what was an alright rookie season.
The 49ers lost Jauan Jennings, but they still have Ricky Pearsall. However, they made one of the biggest moves of the offseason by signing Mike Evans to a three-year, $60 million contract. The team still has George Kittle, and that’s enough said.
Coming off a Super Bowl victory, the Seahawks have the best individual wide receiver in football, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He, paired up alongside Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton, is a force to be reckoned with.
How will the Cardinals' secondary fare? We’ll tell you this: if they want any chance of making a move at a playoff spot, this unit really needs to play its best, especially in divisional games.
