Ranking the 5 most important players on Arizona Cardinals' 2024 roster feat. Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr.
It's been a few years since the Arizona Cardinals have been in the playoffs. In the last two seasons, they've suffered back-to-back 4-13 seasons and have been one of the worst teams in the NFL.
In the last eight seasons, Arizona has made the playoffs once, which came in quarterback Kyler Murray's third season in the league.
The team hasn't had the star power to make them one of the better teams in the league, with many positions having question marks. The Cardinals are also one of the youngest teams in the NFL.
The Cardinals will be in year two under head coach Jonathan Gannon.
5 most important players on Arizona Cardinals' roster in 2024
Entering the 2024 season, Arizona is hoping to avoid a third-straight losing season. The Arizona Cardinals signed a handful of veterans this off-season in OL Jonah Williams, WR Zay Jones, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting and RB DeeJay Dallas. They added a pair of first-rounders in this year's draft, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and edge rusher Darius Robinson.
Entering the 2024 season, here are the five most important players on the Arizona Cardinals' roster:
#1. Kyler Murray
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has shown flashes of being a franchise quarterback. He was drafted number one overall in the 2019 NFL draft and came into the league with big expectations.
In his five seasons in the NFL, he's only played in one full season and has only had one winning season as a starter.
Murray earned back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021 but hasn't played to the best of his ability the past few seasons due to injuries.
#2. Marvin Harrison Jr.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected fourth overall in this year's draft and was the first wide receiver to be taken in this year's class.
The Cardinals have lacked playmakers at the wide receiver position. Their 2021 second-round wide receiver, Rondale Moore, was traded to the Atlanta Falcons, and Marquise Brown left the team for the Kansas City Chiefs this season.
Harrison had over 140 receptions and over 2,400 yards in the last two seasons at Ohio State. He's expected to be Murray's new target in their offense.
#3. Budda Baker
Since being drafted in 2017, Budda Baker has been one of the best safeties in the NFL and the best player in Arizona's secondary.
The veteran has been named to six Pro Bowls, including this past season, as well as three All-Pro selections.
With 737 total tackles in seven seasons, Baker averages over 100 tackles a season and is all over the field for Arizona's defense. Entering his eighth season in the NFL, Baker is still one of the top safeties.
#4. James Conner
James Conner has been a pleasant surprise for the Arizona Cardinals' backfield since signing with the team in 2021.
Conner was one of the best fantasy running backs in 2021, scoring 18 total touchdowns and recording over 1,000 yards on offense. He followed up in 2022 with another 1,000-yard season.
This past season, he rushed for a career-high 1,040 yards and averaged a career-high 5.0 yards per carry. Conner is one of the team's veterans and can still be an effective starting running back in the NFL.
#5. Darius Robinson
Darius Robinson was a first-round pick by the Cardinals in this year's draft.
The Arizona Cardinals haven't had a defensive player record six or more sacks in the last two seasons, aside from J.J. Watt, who retired following the 2022 season. It's been quite some time since Arizona has had an impactful pass rusher.
Robinson switched to defensive end this past season for Missouri and had 43 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks this season. Arizona is hoping he can become a dynamic franchise pass-rusher.