The Arizona Cardinals have expectations of not being one of the league’s worst clubs for a second consecutive year. GM Monti Ossenfort worked overtime this offseason to address the weak spots and bring in new players to replace those who left the team.
Training camp is approaching, and the air will be very clear on the final 53-man roster, and who is in and who is out. The focus will then be on which players will fit best at all positions.
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There are many good-to-great players on this year’s roster, and still some problem areas. But there is one player on offense and defense, plus special teams, who can change the narrative and perhaps be the difference in games.
Here’s the list:
WR Michael Wilson
While most would point to the quarterback position as being the key component to success this year, the fact is, QB Jacoby Brissett is a roller coaster right now, and the starting position is up for grabs.
The running game should be the main focus anyway, with the new guys, Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier, with a dose of James Conner thrown in. The offensive line is redesigned for the run game, and guys love to run block. This does cut down on the number of passes thrown.
But the passing game still needs to be successful and prevalent when called upon. The ideal situation would be for the rushing attack to consume 65%-70% of plays. Whether that becomes true for each game will be determined as the season rolls along. The offense will get back to featuring two tight end sets. That requires two exceptional bodies to man the positions.
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The passing game needs to be the complement and not the focus. In order to do this, the offense will require qualified pass catchers.
WR Michael Wilson had a breakout year last season. What was supposed to happen was that Marvin Harrison would be the darling of the receiver room. After all, name a college football accolade, and Harrison is displaying that award on his father’s fireplace mantel.
The player who will be this year’s offensive “X” factor is receiver Michael Wilson.
It is realized that the MVP of the offense will once again become TE Trey McBride. Nobody is disputing this. But it is Wilson who will become the juice to get the offense’s motor going.
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Harrison was supposed to have a couple of Pro Bowls by now, and did have a decent year during his first year in the league. But Harrison didn’t even make the NFL All-Rookie roster, and is having a problem staying healthy. He came to the desert as a huge playmaker, but is his health going to be an issue every season?
Wilson was second on the Cardinals in pass receptions last year behind McBride. He had 126 targets with 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and scored seven times.
The bonus with Wilson is that he is an outstanding pass catcher with size, but he is also an excellent blocker. A lot of receivers act like they are going to get in the way of a defender and only want to catch the ball, but won’t block. But Wilson is able and willing to do the dirty work.
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LB Mack Wilson, Sr.
There are plenty of candidates for the defensive “X” factor.
Both S Budda Baker and EDGE Josh Sweat fit this description probably more than any other players. With the defensive tackle position being a group with a bunch of new names, that unit should be considered solved as far as being able to stop the run. And this may continue all season.
Linebacker may be a concern. Is Cody Simon ready to start this year? How will the new guy, Jack Gibbens, find his place? There are high hopes that rookie Karson Sharar will develop sooner rather than later. Can Zaven Collins finally become that All-Pro he was projected to be?
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The area that needs the most attention, however, is middle linebacker. Mack Wilson is the defensive “X” factor. The reason is that going into training camp, this group is viewed as a strength.
Wilson was the team’s leading tackler until he became injured with a rib injury in Week 9.
The Cardinals have the luxury of having some really good linebackers, something that is a rare occurrence in the league. In addition to Simon and Collins, key substitutes are Gibbens and Baron Browning. With Wilson’s injury, which placed him on season-ending IR, suddenly, there was panic in the linebacker room. Who would take his spot?
Wilson arrived in Arizona during free agency in 2024 and has been productive ever since. He had 75 total tackles his first season with the Cardinals, and accrued 60 in just eight and a half contests before his injury last year. He had 521 snaps, which was 97% of all defensive reps. He was on track to have about 130 tackles.
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Straight up: The defense is dependent upon him in run support.
P Blake Gillikin
No doubt about it, the one player that can change field position on this year’s roster is the punter. Blake Gillikin is the Cardinals’ “X” player on special teams.
Arizona has been fortunate to have Gillikin on the roster for the past three seasons. Last year, he tied for the league lead in average yards per kick with 51.7 average yards per punt.
Gillikin ended his year early due to a back injury. The injury was severe enough for him to warrant a stint on injured reserve. The Cardinals hired Pat O’Donnell as the interim punter.
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In his three seasons with Arizona, Gillikin’s average yards per punt have been 50.6 (2023), 49.7 (2024), and 51.7 (2025). That is complete consistency. What he does is flip the field so that the field position can be in the Cardinals’ favor.
No doubt about it, Gillikin had a distinguished college career as a four-year starter with Penn State, where he was named Second Team All-Big 10 and a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American. He was the only player in school history with seven punts of 65 or more yards.
After being undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft, he was signed by the New Orleans Saints and was their punter for three seasons before signing with Arizona.
