As part of my NFL pre-training camp power rankings, we will dive into each team and give an in-depth analysis for each. Up first are the Arizona Cardinals, who I have to finish as the worst team in the NFL. Here is the Arizona Cardinals 2023 Season Preview.
How Was 2022?
Last season was rough for the Arizona Cardinals. They were off to a 2-2 start before things started to crumble fast. After their fourth win in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Rams, they proceeded to lose their last seven games. For head coach Kliff Kingsbury, a 38-13 loss to the 49ers in Week 18 was the last game he would coach. The team fired him in the offseason.
The losing streak can be contributed to the loss of Kyler Murray, who went down with an ACL injury in Week 12. A cycle of Colt McCoy, Trace McSorley, and David Blough were under center the rest of the way.
DeAndre Hopkins would return from injury at the midway point of last year, playing nine games and catching 64 of his 96 targets.
Despite injuries to their offense, Arizona still finished 18th in passing and 22nd in rushing. Not bad, but not good either. Add in finishing 21st in points per game, and it was a below-average season for Arizona
The Offseason
As mentioned, the Cardinals fired Kingsbury this offseason. To replace him, they chose former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach.
There wasn’t much noise in free agency for Arizona, as they ended up not re-signing CB Byron Murphy Jr. and defensive lineman Zach Allen. However, LB Kyzir White was signed and reunited with Gannon.
The draft was where things got going. With their first-round pick, they chose OT Paris Johnson Jr. Upgrading that offensive line was necessary, especially when Kyler Murray returns. Johnson will likely play left guard for now, with D.J. Humphries currently at left tackle.
Arizona also drafted defensive end B.J. Ojulair from LSU. But, my favorite pick has to be Garrett Williams from Syracuse. Despite recovering from an ACL injury, he has shown flashes of being a top-five cornerback during his time in college. If he is fully healthy by the start of the season, replacing Murphy may have been easier said than done.
Schedule Preview
Arizona opens their season on the road against the Washington Commanders. Then, they come back home to face the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
I see them starting out the gate 1-2, but their next two games after Dallas will resort in losses against San Francisco and Cincinnati.
A bounce-back win against Los Angeles in Week Six will get them to 2-4, but the rest of the schedule is quite tough. Even with the return of Murray by midseason, I have them finishing 5-12.
In Review
As a whole, I just don’t see this team going anywhere this season. Losing Murray hurts more than you would think, and this offense isn’t dangerous as constructed. James Conner will have a tough time replicating his 15 touchdowns in 2021, and the depth behind him is questionable.
The wide receiver group is led by Marquise Brown, which isn’t a good thing despite his 709 receiving yards last year. In fact, the most available wideout was Greg Dortch. But, he is at best the WR3 on the depth chart.
Zach Ertz should be ready for the regular season, but he hasn’t looked the same since his days in Philadelphia. He has struggled to play a full season since 2018. Trey McBride will look to make some noise and replace Ertz as TE1.
Even with the addition of Paris Johnson Jr., the rest of the offensive line is bad. D.J. Humphries can’t stay healthy, Kelvin Beachum is terrible against the run, and Will Hernandez cannot be trusted at right guard.
Defensively, the pieces they added are good. Rashad Fenton comes from Kansas City to line up opposite of cornerback Marco Wilson. Budda Baker is clearly the leader of this side of the ball, and is a top-10 safety. B.J. Ojulari is a great young piece at linebacker, and will work together with Kyzir White to form a good linebacker duo.
Outside of Zaven Collins, this defensive line is bad. Offensive lines should have an easy time running the ball against this first line of defense.
Finally, it’s time to get rid of Isaiah Simmons. He already looks the part of a bust, despite the versatility many praised him for coming out of the draft.
In the end, the Cardinals are likely going to have the number one overall pick. It will set them to draft quarterback Caleb Williams next year. If Kyler Murray has another subpar season, then his time is up even with his extension set to kick in 2024.
Thank you for reading! Make sure to visit Belly Up Sports every week and follow me on Twitter! My new podcast “Nate Ball” is coming out on Monday July 17th, 2023. Be sure to look out for the first episode next week! We will cover everything in the NFL, so don’t miss out!
