The Cardinals are an interesting team heading into the 2026 season as the roster is one of the best in the sport in my estimation but in a coach + QB league they leave much to be desired playing in arguably the toughest division in the NFL. The defensive side of the ball is very concerning in my estimation heading into next season as I question whether defensive coordinator Nick Rallis should have been retained by the Cardinals’ front office and rookie offensive minded head coaches often struggle to get a grasp of the defensive side of the ball. Outside of just the coaching on the defensive side of things, the personnel that Arizona has in their defense will also loom large as well. Here I will go into detail assessing the personnel that Arizona has in their secondary as the 2026 season approaches.
Set to start at the first of the two primary cornerback spots is 2025 2nd rounder Will Johnson who had a solid rookie season that he is in line to build off of. Johnson graded (65/122) in terms of an overall defense grade among his peers according to Pro Football Focus despite being a rookie. Although he was below average, that is still pretty good for a rookie, and he is in line to become a solid starter if not more than that going forward.
2017 2nd rounder Budda Baker is set to start at the strong safety spot for Arizona and is a player with an electric ceiling but one who is inconsistent. Baker is a two-time first team All-Pro, a two time second team All-Pro, and an eight-time Pro Bowler. Baker is among the most decorated defensive players in the NFL but has had more than a couple seasons where he graded in the below average range among players at his position, including last season where he graded poorly in that regard.
Andrew Wingard is set to start at the free safety spot for Arizona and is also a player with a very high ceiling but one who struggles to remain consistent. Wingard struggled during the 2025 season, ranking in the below average to well below average range among players at his position. However, before that Wingard graded in the well above average to elite range among players at his position in every season outside of his rookie year. But Wingard in that timespan played primarily in a reserve role and as he took starter snaps for just the second time in his career in 2025, he struggled.
2025 5th rounder Denzel Burke is set to start at the next primary cornerback spot for Arizona and is coming off a solid rookie season. Although he graded below average among his peers, he was far from poor which is no small feat for a rookie. Based on his decent rookie production, Burke is in line to become potentially a solid NFL starter going forward.
Standout Garrett Williams rounds out the Arizona starting back-end defense and has played at a very strong level thus far in the NFL. Williams, a 2023 3rd rounder, struggled as a rookie, but then in year 2 he graded as the fifth best overall cornerback in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, taking almost 800 snaps in doing so. Williams regressed the following year in 2025, but was still in the middle of the pack, and his 2024 season was remarkable, and he could recapture that form soon.
From a depth standpoint in the secondary the Cardinals have several notable names that could provide the team with some high-end depth with those same players having the ability to move into the starting lineup if need be, given some of the concerns that Arizona has. 2019 2nd round cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting has shown a very high ceiling in the NFL although lacking consistency. 2025 7th round safety Kitan Crawford played at a well above average clip in limited rookie snaps, however. 2024 4th round safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had an elite rookie season but then a sophomore slump. 2024 3rd round cornerback Elijah Jones graded as the third best overall corner in the NFL in about one games worth of career snaps. Safety Joey Blount has consistently played at an above average level in very limited NFL snaps. 2024 2nd round cornerback Max Melton has struggled in the NFL thus far but has still yet to put together a full season of snaps and was drafted very highly for a reason. While finally 2018 second round pick Isaiah Oliver has shown a high ceiling in his career as a player drafted so highly, although he can be inconsistent. The Cardinals have perhaps the deepest secondary in the entire NFL entering the 2026 season. A breakdown of the Cardinals’ secondary heading into the 2026 season can be found below.
2026 Projected Cardinals’ Starting Secondary
LCB – Will Johnson – C to C+ so far, 2025 2nd rounder, solid rookie season
SS – Budda Baker – B+, elite ceiling, inconsistent
FS – Andrew Wingard – B to B+, very high ceiling, inconsistent
RCB – Denzel Burke Jr – C as rookie, 2025 5th rounder, decent rookie season
NB – Garrett Williams – B+ to A-
Notable 2026 Cardinals’ Reserve Secondary Players
CB – Sean Murphy-Bunting – C+ to B-, high ceiling, inconsistent
S – Kitan Crawford – 2025 7th rounder, B to B+ in limited rookie snaps
S – Dadrion Taylor-Demerson – C+ to B-, 2024 4th rounder, great rookie season, sophomore slump
CB – Elijah Jones – A+ so far, 2024 3rd rounder, elite in about one games worth of career snaps
S – Joey Blount – B-, consistently above average in very limited snaps
CB – Max Melton – D so far as 2024 2nd rounder, still improving, yet to put together full season of snaps
CB – Isaiah Oliver – C+ to B-, former 2nd rounder, high ceiling but inconsistent
