Cardinals camp questions: Which players are poised for standout performances?

More friction. More storylines.

The Arizona Cardinals enter training camp with the highest expectations they’ve had under the current regime led by general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Before training camp at State Farm Stadium gets underway Wednesday, we’re taking a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding the team.

Following an offseason full of revamp, who shines the brightest this camp?

Who stands out this Cardinals training camp?

Every year, there’s a handful of Cardinals players that really get the juices flowing at training camp.

Greg Dortch, Marvin Harrison Jr., Darius Robinson, Starling Thomas V, Zay Jones and Dennis Gardeck are just some of the names that come to mind in recent years.

Does it always translate to regular season success? No.

But getting off on the right foot with a strong camp can set players up nicely for the long road ahead, especially for those fighting for a roster spot like wide receiver Xavier Weaver.

After the Cardinals decided against adding more talent to the wide receivers room outside of Simi Fehoko and Quez Watkins, all eyes on are how the room takes the next step.

Harrison enters Year 2 as the undisputed starter. Michael Wilson slides in as the likely WR2 with room to grow, and Dortch is the leading candidate out of the slot.

But adding more explosive possibilities wouldn’t hurt. We all know how Gannon feels about them.

That’s where Weaver comes in.

With burner speed, Weaver could be the true field stretcher the Cardinals need to complement Harrison and Wilson.

And although he saw very little run last season behind just two games played and 57 offensive snaps, Weaver hasn’t messed around this offseason.

“He put on some weight. I think he’s a little more physical running routes. He’s not getting knocked around at the line of scrimmage,” Gannon said in June. “The physical thing jumps out to me. He’s done a good job. He’s playing three different spots.

“He’s done a good job mentally too, which is hard for certain guys, especially only his second year. … He gets open and he catches it.”

He’s not alone as a potential second-year standout, either, with 2024 first-round picks Harrison and Robinson trending toward a lot of highlight reels this camp.

Each has taken the offseason to heart following two very different rookie years, showing up to OTAs and minicamp noticeably bigger. Their confidence has taken a step forward, too.

For Harrison, it’s all about solidifying his connection with quarterback Kyler Murray that much more and proving their work this offseason wasn’t for nothing.

The wide receiver put up respective numbers in an up and down season, highlighted by eight receiving touchdowns, but if Arizona wants to take that next step as an offense and team, the wideout has to prove he’s a constant threat.

If he can, that’s going to open up the rest of the offense to attack the defense’s weak points.

Robinson, on the other hand, is looking to assert himself in a revamped defensive line room after a calf injury limited his rookie year to just six games. It was effectively a redshirt season for the defensive lineman.

There’s going to be some serious competition within the room, making it a must-watch position group throughout camp.

Speaking of the defensive line room, don’t forget about defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III (Coach DeBo). His interactive and energetic coaching methods were already on display through OTAs and minicamp. That should only continue at camp.

Rounding out potential training camp standouts is rookie cornerback Will Johnson.

Fresh off inking his rookie contract on Tuesday, the rookie can now focus on football and further proving he should have gone higher than 47th overall.

Cardinals CB Will Johnson is now one (small) step closer to playing in primetime after inking his rookie contract this morning.

Full @AZCardsCorner episode: https://t.co/bei6zAMYTn pic.twitter.com/jSDKKvcAvj

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) July 22, 2025

His motivation is one thing. His ball-hawking ability is another.

If he can show that off at camp, the talk of Johnson as a potential Week 1 starter is only going to grow.

Related

Will Johnson agrees to rookie contract, solidifying Cardinals' 2025 draft classCardinals camp questions: Which rookies make a case to start?Cards camp questions: Who are the odd men out at DL?Cards camp questions: Just how much 'friction' can we expect?Cards camp questions: Is right guard Isaiah Adams' job to lose?Jacoby Brissett ranked outside top 32 NFL quarterbacks in poll of NFL execs and coaches