Arizona Cardinals roster projection, depth chart with one week until cut day

Much of the Arizona Cardinals' preseason has unfolded encouragingly. They saw positive signs during training camp, and then played well in the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even last week’s joint practice against the Denver Broncos brought its share of optimism.

The same cannot be said for the ensuing preseason game. In a 27-7 loss to the Broncos, the Cardinals were exposed for their lack of depth on both sides of the ball.

Because the Cardinals rested nearly all of their starters, the performance was not a huge concern as it pertains to Week 1. But it reflected poorly on some options they may need later in the season.

It also brought a new feel to this week’s 53-man roster projection. For much of the summer, it felt like the Cardinals had too many good players for 53 spots. Now, the challenge is finding 53 deserving players.

Here is that projection, with just one week remaining until the NFL’s Aug. 26 cut day.

Offense

Quarterback (2)

Starter: Kyler Murray

Backup: Jacoby Brissett

The gap between Brissett and Clayton Tune was jarring against the Broncos. Brissett had stellar command of the offense and would have been a perfect 8 of 8 passing if not for a pair of drops from his receivers. Tune, on the other hand, managed less than three yards per attempt. The biggest question at quarterback is whether the Cardinals will search for an upgrade to the practice squad after cut day.

Running back (4)

Starter: James Conner

Backups: Trey Benson, Emari Demercado, DeeJay Dallas

Jonathan Gannon provided the latest evidence that Benson will have a crucial role this season by resting the second-year back along with the starters against Denver. Further down the depth chart, the picture is murky, with two players for three spots. Michael Carter has been the third back for most of the summer, but he managed just 10 yards on eight carries against the Broncos. Plus, his skill set overlaps with Conner and Benson’s. That could provide the upper hand to Demercado, an excellent pass catcher, and Dallas, a standout return man.

Wide receiver (6)

Starters: Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch

Backups: Zay Jones, Simi Fehoko, Xavier Weaver

With the Cardinals' depth pieces at receiver struggling to make an impact, their one-year, $1.75 million deal with Fehoko looks like a shrewd bit of business. He had a nice touchdown against the Broncos and provides some NFL experience further down the roster. Weaver, though, should still have a role on the team as a sixth receiver. He needs to improve at the catch point to become an option Gannon can trust. Tejhaun Palmer, a 2024 sixth-rounder, has not made much of a case for himself, struggling with drops.

Tight end (4)

Starters: Trey McBride, Tip Reiman

Backups: Elijah Higgins, Travis Vokolek

The uninspired performance of some depth pieces elsewhere could lead the Cardinals to keep four tight ends, like they did last year. That fourth spot would be down to Vokolek and Josiah Deguara, who have both been solid in camp. Meanwhile, Reiman should be in line for significant snaps in the Cardinals tight end heavy offense. He rested alongside the starters against Denver.

Offensive tackle (4)

Starters: Paris Johnson Jr., Jonah Williams

Backups: Kelvin Beachum, Josh Fryar

Gannon said last week that Christian Jones will “miss a little bit of time” with a knee injury. It’s not quite clear what that means, but even if Jones is healthy by Week 1, his missed time has opened the door for Fryar, an undrafted free agent, to prove that he deserves the final spot at offensive tackle.

Interior offensive line (6)

Starters: Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, Isaiah Adams

Backups: Will Hernandez, Jon Gaines II, Hayden Conner

Each one of these backups is currently banged up. Hernandez hasn’t yet returned to practice from the ACL he tore last October, although he announced that he is medically cleared. Gaines is dealing with a thumb injury and can’t yet snap. Conner went down with a knee injury early against the Broncos. Even if all three are fully ready by the season opener, the Cardinals would be wise to maintain their depth at the position.

Defense

Interior defensive line (6)

Starters: Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, Darius Robinson

Backups: Walter Nolen, Dante Stills, Justin Jones

The assumption here is that Nolen (calf) and Jones (knee) will both be ready for Week 1, but they’ll need to return to the practice field relatively soon. If not, a roster spot could open up for L.J. Collier, despite his significant struggles in both preseason games. Fortunately, Stills’ emergence has covered for some of that missing depth. He’s had such a strong preseason that Gannon rested him against the Broncos — confirmation that he’s a lock for the roster.

Edge rusher (5)

Starters: Josh Sweat, Baron Browning

Backups: Zaven Collins, Jordan Burch, Xavier Thomas

With B.J. Ojulari seemingly unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, Thomas has the inside track on making the roster as a fifth edge rusher. But he’ll need to show more than he has in preseason. He’s generated just two pressures on 40 pass rush snaps and has struggled to set the edge in the run game.

Inside linebacker (3)

Starters: Mack Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither

Backup: Cody Simon

For much of camp, Owen Pappoe looked like a roster lock. Then he was benched for the entire first half against the Broncos, only appearing with the third stringers late in the game. That’s a strong indication that the Cardinals might roll with just three inside linebackers. Unlike most teams, they can weather a thin group there, since they use so many one-linebacker sets. The bigger concern is that no one has grabbed a hold of the second starting job next to Wilson.

Cornerback (6)

Starters: Max Melton, Will Johnson, Garrett Williams

Backups: Denzel Burke, Kei’Trel Clark, Darren Hall

2024 third-round pick Elijah Jones finally put together a strong preseason performance, staking his claim to a roster spot. That stood in contrast to the rest of the secondary, which struggled mightily in Denver. Still, Jones has been stuck on the third-team defense recently, a sign that he has more work to do if he’s to earn a roster spot.

Safety (4)

Starters: Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson

Backup: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Kitan Crawford

Crawford, a seventh-round rookie, continues to stake his claim to a roster spot. He had a few mishaps against the Broncos, but also displayed his ability to make plays on the ball. That’s the type of skill set that the Cardinals believe they can mold into a useful depth piece, especially given his contributions on special teams.

Specialists

Kicker: Chad Ryland

Punter: Blake Gillikin

Long snapper: Aaron Brewer

The Cardinals' specialists had a big day in Denver. Ryland hit a 72-yarder in warmups, and Gillikin averaged 53.1 yards per punt. This group, which has no competition on the training camp roster, is quietly a nice strength for the Cardinals.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals 53-man roster projection, depth chart