The dust has cleared as the Arizona Cardinals reduced their roster to 53 players Tuesday with 25 players on offense and defense plus three specialists.
What jumps out, at least for now, is that there are only eight linebackers on the roster, five on the edge and three inside players. The position breakdown for the practice squad will be intriguing as those spots begin to fill after 9 a.m. Arizona time on Wednesday.
Here’s the breakdown by position with expected starters in bold and rookies with an asterisk.
Eight of the team’s 12 draft choices this year plus one undrafted free agent (Xavier Weaver) are on the current roster plus draft picks defensive lineman Darius Robinson and tackle Christian Jones are on injured reserve/designated to return.
Seventeen of the 53, including Robinson and Jones, were selected in the last two drafts to go with undrafted free agents Weaver and Emari Demercado from 2023.
Quarterbacks (2)
- Kyler Murray
- Clayton Tune
Are the Cardinals happy where they are behind Murray? We’ll find out soon enough.
Running backs (4)
- James Conner
- *Trey Benson
- Emari Demercado
- DeeJay Dallas (also return specialist)
How much will Benson spell Conner in games and will there be a job-share with Conner and Demercado on third down?
Wide receivers (6)
- *Marvin Harrison Jr.
- Michael Wilson
- Greg Dortch
- Chris Moore
- Zach Pascal
- Xavier Weaver (also return specialist)
Moore will have the Zay Jones role until he returns, and we’ll see how many offensive snaps Weaver will get.
Tight ends (4)
- Trey McBride
- Elijah Higgins
- *Tip Reiman
- Travis Vokolek
Reiman will be on the field frequently in running situations.
Offensive linemen (9)
- LT Paris Johnson Jr.
- LG Evan Brown
- C Hjalte Froholdt
- RG Will Hernandez
- RT Jonah Williams
- T Kelvin Beachum
- C/G Trystan Colon
- C/G Jon Gaines II
- *G Isaiah Adams
Defensive linemen (6)
- Justin Jones
- Bilal Nichols
- Roy Lopez
- L.J. Collier
- Dante Stills
- Khyiris Tonga
There will be a heavy rotation, as is usually the case, with the five likely to be active on game day.
Outside linebacker (5)
- Zaven Collins
- Dennis Gardeck
- *Xavier Thomas
- Victor Dimukeje
- Jesse Luketa
Seeing how quickly Thomas will produce against first-line offenses will be fascinating to see.
Inside linebackers (3)
- Kyzir White
- Mack Wilson Sr.
- Owen Pappoe
Expect to see Wilson utilized at times as a pass rusher.
Cornerbacks (6)
- Sean Murphy-Bunting
- Starling Thomas V
- Garrett Williams
- *Max Melton
- Kei’Trel Clark
- *Elijah Jones
Williams will play significant snaps in nickel, but it’s also possible he will be the outside corner when only two are on the field.
Safeties (5)
- Budda Baker
- Jalen Thompson
- *Dadrion (Rabbit) Taylor-Demerson
- Darren Hall
- Joey Blount
Hall is a hybrid safety/cornerback, while Taylor-Demerson showed himself to be a playmaker. Realistically, how often will they play with one of the best safety tandems in the league ahead of them?
Specialists (3)
- K Matt Prater
- P Blake Gillikin
- LS Aaron Brewer
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