Cardinals roster questions, wild cards: Who starts opposite Marco Wilson at CB?

The Arizona Cardinals look a whole lot different than they did this time a year ago.

And with a reset in culture, coaching staff and front office comes a reset in the roster.

Each position group has undergone change this offseason, from quarterback to special teams.

From one defensive backs group to the other, it’s time to take a look at the cornerbacks room.

The Arizona Cardinals’ big roster questions: CB

1. Who starts alongside Marco Wilson?

Wilson enters training camp as a no-doubt starter with 13 starts under his belt in each of the past two seasons.

But aside from him, there are a couple of veteran names vying for the other starting role in Antonio Hamilton and Rashad Fenton.

Returning for his third season with the Cardinals, Hamilton has the inside track at locking down the other corner spot given his familiarity with his teammates and his seven years of NFL experience.

And if it weren’t for a freak cooking accident that left Hamilton sidelined with severe burns, he would’ve opened last season as a starter in Arizona. Instead, he appeared in 10 games, starting in five.

Fenton heads to the desert after with four NFL seasons under his belt with the Kansas City Chiefs (2019-22) and Atlanta Falcons (2022).

While Hamilton has been around the NFL longer (seven seasons), Fenton has more starts on his resume (17 to nine).

Kris Boyd is another veteran name to watch, though most of his four NFL seasons have been spent largely as a special teamer.

2. When will Garrett Williams get the green light?

Williams joins linebacker BJ Ojulari as the two Cardinals rookies seen minimally this offseason outside of an interview and a sideline presence during organized team activities and minicamp.

The 2023 third-rounder is coming off a torn ACL suffered during his final season at Syracuse. The cornerback was on his way to posting career bests before the injury, racking up 32 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defensed and a sack across seven games played.

Since his arrival to Arizona, Williams has continued with his rehab with the hopes of a July return.

If Williams can check off that goal and participate in training camp, there’s a real possibility he could fight for extended reps and help fill out much-needed depth at the position.

#AZCardinals DC Nick Rallis highlighted the violence and overall game @garrettismynam3 plays with following the NFL Draft.

For Williams, it’s all about playing football the right way and leaving it all out on the field. pic.twitter.com/WBn3I1d5oJ

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 11, 2023

The wild Card

Williams wasn’t the only cornerback taken by the Cardinals in the 2023 NFL Draft, with former Louisville DB Kei’Trel Clark joining Arizona as a sixth-rounder.

Clark comes over after spending three college seasons at Louisville, where he recorded 127 tackles, five picks, a sack and 23 passes defensed.

Now, it’s all about climbing the depth chart defensively and becoming an asset on special teams.

While they haven’t been teammates long, rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson has already seen Clark’s potential firsthand.

“I think he’s going to be a guy that’s going to play for a while because he controls all the controllables and he shows up,” Wilson said during minicamp this past June. “He’s a high-energy guy no matter what. We’ve been going back and forth and I’ve got a lot of respect for how he prepares himself on a day-to-day basis.

“I love going against guys that truly love the game and Kei’Trel’s one of those guys. I think he’s going to be really, really special.”

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