Top 10 Arizona Cardinals Players Going Into the 2025-26 Season

The Arizona Cardinals are in an interesting position. They're technically still in a rebuilding phase. However, they do have the potential to make the playoffs this season.

The talent is there, but execution has been lacking for the past couple of seasons. They finished the 2024-25 season with an 8-9 record and placed 3rd in the NFC West.

They aren't far off, but it's time we see some progress from this team.

The Top Ten

Budda Baker

Who else could have been #1 besides Budda Baker? He's been excellent throughout his career as a Cardinal. 95 solo tackles and 165 total tackles. 10 being tackles for loss and 3 QB hits.
He's made 7 Pro Bowls, 6 of them in a row, and has been named First Team All-Pro twice and Second Team All-Pro twice. He's undoubtedly a top 10 safety in the league. He is a dynamic playmaker who dominates with solo tackles and is also a very versatile player and has emerged as a true leader in the locker room.
Trey McBride

Trey McBride really emerged as a top tight end in the league in 2024. He led the Cardinals in overall receiving yards with 1,146 yards, which ranked second among all tight ends and 11th overall among tight ends and wide receivers.
His touchdown count was a little low with only 2. However, that's really my only concern, but I imagine that number will increase in 2025. He did earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2024 for his breakout season.
Marvin Harrison Jr

Marvin Harrison Jr was highly regarded as one of the best wide receiver prospects in the 2024 draft. Everyone called him generational. He finished the year with 885 yards and 8 touchdowns, honestly respectable numbers for a rookie season, but I can't help feeling underwhelmed and wanting more out of him.
For what it's worth, his numbers are comparable to Larry Fitzgerald's rookie stats. The potential is there, and the sky's the limit. I'm expecting this guy to have a drastically more productive 2025 season. He is the top wide receiver for the Cardinals, so he'll have plenty of opportunities to produce numbers.
Kyler Murray

Kyler Cole Murray is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League. He was selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft after a standout college career at the University of Oklahoma. Murray is also notable for being drafted in the first round of both the NFL... read more

Kyler is an interesting case. He has the talent and ability to be a top-tier quarterback, yet he just hasn't quite reached that top echelon yet. On paper, he's been somewhat decent. He's been a relatively decent fantasy football quarterback, but in reality, his consistency has been lacking.
He had 3,851 passing yards in 2024, ranking 11th in the league. His 21 touchdowns ranked 14th in the league. He still had arguably his best season since 2020. I think he still has potential to be among the league's best quarterbacks and flirt with being a top 10 quarterback in the league, but at some point, results have to matter. So far, he's failed to step up and deliver in the big moments, and if you are a Cardinals fan, you should honestly expect more out of him considering he was a first overall pick.
James Conner

James Earl Conner is an American football running back who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned numerous accolades. Conner was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

I feel like James Conner isn't talked about enough, but he's quietly been one of the better starting running backs in the league. He's a 2-time Pro Bowler who has been very durable and consistent throughout his career, barely missing any games at all.
Last season, he had 1,094 yards and 8 touchdowns, arguably his best season as a Cardinal. He led the team in rushing yards and was 11th overall in the league and was 15th overall in rushing touchdowns.
Paris Johnson Jr

Paris Johnson has quickly and quietly improved drastically from rookie to sophomore year in the NFL. I think switching from right tackle to left tackle was a huge reason why.
PFF gave him an 80.8 overall grade, ranking him 12th across the league, putting him in the top 8% in the NFL. He's well-rounded at both pass blocking and run blocking. Ideally, he should be a cornerstone for the Cardinals' offensive line for years to come.
Dalvin Tomlinson

Dalvin Tomlinson is another much-needed upgrade to the defensive line. Tomlinson is a seasoned veteran in the NFL who's proven to be a durable and reliable player, barely missing any games at all in his career. He's started all 125 games he's played in and has only missed 6 games total in 7 seasons.
According to PFF, his 36 pressures ranked 26th overall in the league out of 219 qualified players, putting him in the top 12%. In addition, his run defense in particular is decent. In 2024, Tomlinson finished the season with several career-high numbers, including quarterback hits (18) and quarterback hurries (20), along with his three sacks last season.
Josh Sweat

Josh Sweat should be a valuable addition to the defensive line. The Cardinals need all the help they can get on that side of the ball. Josh Sweat comes as a free agent signing after a few somewhat decent seasons for Philadelphia.
He made a Pro Bowl in 2021 and was part of that dominant Super Bowl-winning defensive line. The argument could be made that he was just the product of a dominant defensive line. Sweat at least has shown he can be Pro Bowl caliber. He's a disruptive player who is a formidable run blocker. In addition, he'd reunite with former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Walter Nolen

The Cardinals have continued to build up their front seven on defense. Nolen was a highly touted prospect for a reason. He had a career year in 2024 for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was named First Team All-SEC and First Team All-American.
Nolen is known for his explosive athleticism and disruptive pass rush abilities. He's also versatile, being able to play multiple positions along the defensive line. He'll have plenty of opportunities to produce.
Will Johnson

A lot of people considered Will Johnson a first-round draft pick, myself included. He was a highly touted prospect for a reason. Turns out injuries were a bit of a concern, which caused him to fall to Arizona in the second round.
Assuming he can get healthy again, the Cardinals may have gotten the steal of the draft. As a Wolverine, Johnson was a 2-time All-American and helped Michigan win a National Championship in 2023. The Cardinals' secondary isn't exactly the strongest at this point in time. Johnson, I expect, will contribute and bolster the cornerback position for Arizona.