Kei’Trel Clark earns starting nod in Arizona Cardinals’ Week 1 depth chart
Sep 5, 2023, 5:27 PM
TEMPE — You know you’re close to Week 1 action when the regular season depth charts start dropping, as was the case Tuesday for the Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL.
That doesn’t mean, however, that everything is set in stone, especially when it comes to quarterback.
As head coach Jonathan Gannon has and will continue to say, the roster is always in flux.
A look at some of the initial takeaways from the Cardinals’ first regular season depth chart of the year:
Clark gets the nod
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Gannon’s “baby” of the defense has apparently grown into a starting role in a few months time based on the depth chart.
The rookie out of Louisville was among the team’s top standouts this training camp and will now line up opposite Marco Wilson.
Clark beat out both veteran Antonio Hamilton Sr. and Chrisitan Matthew, who started training camp with the first-team defense.
Hamilton figures to be the next man up as Arizona’s nickel option.
Be like Mike
Clark isn’t the only rookie on track to start Sunday, with wide receiver Michael Wilson getting the nod across from veterans Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore.
The youngster beat out fellow big-bodied pass catcher and trusted vet Zach Pascal.
Wilson’s name was said early and often this training camp given his versatility and playmaking ability on the field and the way he carries himself off of it.
Either-or at QB
If you were expecting to glean anything from a starting quarterback standpoint, I’ve got some bad news.
The depth chart lists newcomer Josh Dobbs or rookie Clayton Tune as the team’s starting option against the Washington Commanders.
On par with how they’ve operated for a lot of the offseason and even more so upon the arrival of Josh Dobbs, the Cardinals continue to leave us guessing.
Dobbs has been the favorite to earn the job since his sudden arrival to the franchise via trade in late August, based on the fifth-round price tag and his familiarity with Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork and general manager Monti Ossenfort.
That’s not to say Tune hasn’t been in the conversation, with Petzing and other members of the team speaking on the rookie’s poise and work ethic since coming to town.
No surprise here
Among the biggest non-surprises on the depth chart was rookie Paris Johnson Jr.’s place in the starting lineup.
Since he arrived to the Valley, he’s been a starting tackle and will continue to be.
Kelvin Beachum is next in line as the team’s veteran swing option on the outside.
Arizona’s other starters in the trenches include left tackle D.J. Humphries, left guard Elijah Wilkinson, center Hjalte Froholdt and right guard Will Hernandez.
