Cardinals’ toughest 53-man roster decisions come down to 3 rooms

Hard decisions are a given when it comes to initial 53-man roster construction.

That’s very much the case for the Arizona Cardinals, especially within the wide receivers room.

Among Arizona’s position groups, wide receiver has been the most competitive from top to bottom.

Obviously, there’s the no-brainers of Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne. Those are locks. Primary return option Devin Duvernay has a carved-out role on special teams.

That likely leaves just two spots up for grabs between five wideouts:

– Reggie Virgil
– Jalen Brooks
– Simi Fehoko
– Harrison Wallace III
– Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Brooks has done more than enough to earn a 53-man roster spot. He’s been the most consistent Cardinals wide receiver throughout the preseason and was a standout in training camp.

Virgil, meanwhile, is a 2026 fifth-rounder who made a handful of impressive catches mixed in with some learning moments. His draft status could be the leg up here.

Those two appear in the lead for the final two spots, though Simi “Mr. Preseason” Fehoko is right there, too.

Fehoko went on a tear of explosives and touchdowns this preseason, living up to the title of one of the greatest preseason wide receivers in the game handed out by Wilson.

simi toe tap 🩰#AZvsGB | 📺 AZ Family pic.twitter.com/3qS3MmgihT

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 29, 2026

Fehoko did a lot of the same last year, though still found himself on the 53-man roster chopping block before eventually rejoining the team on the practice squad.

If anyone not named Brooks or Virgil is nabbing that final roster spot, it’s Fehoko.

What other position groups are making it tough on Cardinals ahead of 53-man roster cuts?

Arizona’s cornerback room has been another position group that’s been littered with competition this camp.

Will Johnson, Garrett Williams, Denzel Burke and Max Melton feel like shoo-ins at this point.

And with six projected to make the roster, that leaves a pair of spots open for the quartet of Starling Thomas V, Elijah Jones, Kei’Trel Clark and Sean Murphy-Bunting.

Of the four, Murphy-Bunting is the safer bet to make the roster, meaning Jones, Thomas and Clark are likely up against one another for that final spot.

Thomas made his way back on the field this offseason after suffering a torn ACL last training camp amid a battle for a starting role.

He clearly showed enough to be in the mix then but hasn’t had that same production since returning to action. Thomas did, however, add a turnover to his preseason resume with a fumble recovery in Friday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.

He also had a late pass interference call that evened out his night.

Jones, on the other hand, has played late into games this preseason, a sign he’s squarely on the bubble.

The 2024 third-round pick gives the room more size at the position, though he struggled in Friday’s tilt.

Clark has been more under the radar this offseason. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s not.

He just hasn’t been talked about either one way or another and has looked fine through camp and the preseason.

Is that enough to jump Jones and Thomas for that final spot?

Pass-rushing decisions

The Cardinals’ outside linebackers room is expected to be headed by Josh Sweat and Zaven Collins, followed by Baron Browning and Jordan Burch.

No big questions there — even if the Sweat trade noise is still floating around.

As for that likely fifth and final spot? It’s coming down to BJ Ojulari and Eku Leota.

Ojulari has his draft status helping him and was once a projected starter before a 2024 knee injury in camp, though it’s been Leota who has been much more consistent coming off the edge and on special teams.

It’s tough to give up on a guy who was heading in the right direction before a devastating injury put the 2023 second-rounder behind the eight ball.

But given the optics this preseason, with Ojulari playing a boatload of snaps late into games, it seems like he’s on the outs to crack that final roster spot in the room.

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