The Arizona Cardinals could use more talent on the boundary – here’s who can help.
The Arizona Cardinals have done an exceptional job building the depth of this cornerback room. Garrett Williams is the best nickel corner nobody outside the state is talking about. Max Melton has shown some awesome potential, and veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting has been serviceable, joined by youngsters like Starling Thomas V.
But with that group there is one thing missing, and it’s a big gap — The Cardinals are lacking an ace cover man for the outside. The kind of alpha dog who puts fear into opposing quarterbacks look to throw to their established number one receivers.
That need isn’t filled with Williams playing inside, and the 2025 NFL Draft has a few candidates to fulfill that need. Perhaps this is the draft for Arizona to finally find their guy.
The value of this class in the mid-to-late rounds is exceptional, with a seemingly uncountable number of next-level guys who could develop into eventual starters; the kind of guys the Cardinals have been drawn to recently.
The top of the class also has a few guys who could become the alpha that the team needs. It’ll be interesting to see the route the team decides to go.
Five cornerbacks the Cardinals should target:
5. Cobee Bryant, Kansas
I’m still waiting for everyone to get on board the Bryant hype train with me. Perhaps the hold backs are due to his slender 180 lbs frame? Whatever it may be, Bryant has played excellent football with the Jayhawks, and it has me excited for his NFL prospects.
Bryant has picked off 10 passes over his three seasons with Kansas. He’s also prone to creating pass breakups and forcing incompletions as a whole. For a guy as light as he is, he shows impressive tenacity against his opposition.
Oh, and he’s a willing run defender, too!
In complete fairness, Bryant is very wiry and needs to bulk up for next-level receivers who are much more physical than he is. Technique only helps so much when you can’t stick with your target.
Bryant would have to get much bigger and adjust his game to his new size to become a full-time starter, but he would be another great addition to the rotation of boundary corners the Cardinals have. There’s nothing wrong with building the depth in the room, but it’s unlikely Bryant is the alpha the core needs to find.
4. Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Burke is a local kid who has shown plenty of upside to become a next-level starting corner. Unfortunately, Burke has yet to turn that corner and is stuck in his position as a solid-but-not-great cornerback. The issues in his game have persisted long enough that it might just be him and not coaching.
The long-time Ohio State Buckeye is built like a traditional cover man at 5’11 and 186 lbs with good-enough speed and quality ball skills. You can see the mechanics in his form, the way he can punch receivers off the line and trace them downfield. There’s clearly some groundwork established here.
However, beyond his technical refinement is simply a need to improve coverage skills. The pieces are there, but we’re still waiting for everything to finally click. If, and hopefully when, it does, Burke could become a starting-level outside cornerback.
Until that day comes, Arizona would stash him in their deep corner room and try and develop and refine him. Everything is there for him to excel, but we’re waiting for the pieces to come together. Perhaps a return to the desert with a defensive-minded coaching staff can finally get him there.
3. Shavon Revel, East Carolina
Revel may be coming off an ACL tear, but he’s on schedule to, at worst, play a good portion of his rookie season. That’s great news for him and whoever decides to select him.
Before the injury, Revel was skyrocketing up draft boards and was on a collision course with the top-15 picks — perhaps maybe even an argument to be CB1. But now he’s seen as no better than a late-day one pick and more than likely someone to be selected on day two,
The East Carolina product is a freak on paper, standing at 6-3 with long arms that make him a menace in man-to-man coverage. He also has some great ball skills, intercepting two passes in just the three games he managed last season. And he’s only shown improvement since his JUCO days.
I’m not someone concerned over Revel’s knee injury, considering there have been no signs of regression in his rehab.
Revel would be an awesome addition to the Cardinals’ secondary. His tenacity to play physical in coverage is what the secondary could use. His placement in the NFC West would give Arizona someone more than willing to get physical outside.
2. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
Another local kid comes home, but this one has proven himself as a much better player… but there is a catch.
Morrison was a star for the Fighting Irish in his time in South Bend. He mastered his technique with great size mirror-match abilities. Heading into last season, Morrison had a legitimate shot to be CB1 in the class after picking off nine passes as a freshman and sophomore.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be. Morrison dealt with a hip injury that took more than half of the season away from him. The good news is the injury isn’t believed to be long-term. Of course, hip injuries are always scary.
However, if the Cardinals’ medical staff clears him, then this is a slam-dunk pick. Morrison’s projected to be a day two prospect, but he could be one of the 15 best players from this class when it’s all said and done.
He’s a gamble, but it may not even be as big as we think if the injury truly isn’t expected to be severe moving forward.
1. Will Johnson, Michigan
If you’re gonna dream, dream big, right?
To be clear up front, I really would prefer the Cardinals’ round one pick to be spent on an edge rusher. But if Johnson is somehow still on the board at 16 or if it would only require a small trade up to go and grab him… I’m not sure you can say no.
Johnson is being picked on for a down season that had a lot more to do with injuries than poor play. And even in a down year, he didn’t give up a touchdown in six games played. He also picked off two passes and took both of them to the house.
I’ll make it simple — Johnson is a ball player and isn’t someone who can be easily overlooked.
Arizona needs an alpha at the cornerback spot? You won’t find a better one than Johnson.