Cardinals training camp battles: Michael Wilson vs. Zay Jones for WR2
Jul 16, 2024, 4:01 PM | Updated: Jul 24, 2024, 7:34 am
Arizona Cardinals training camp is just about here, with players reporting at State Farm Stadium on July 23. Along with it, come positional battles that’ll help shape the team come game time.
This time around, there’s no shortage of competition following an offseason of roster revamping and plenty of impactful roles up for grabs. As defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said last week, having to make those tough roster decisions is a good problem to have.
But before the heat really turns up at State Farm Stadium, here’s a closer look at the positional battles to monitor with camp rapidly approaching.
Kicking off the series is the competition between second-year pro Michael Wilson and veteran Zay Jones at WR2.
Cardinals camp battles: Michael Wilson vs. Zay Jones
A big question was answered this offseason with the Cardinals taking Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
RELATED STORIES
WR1: check.
From all indications, Harrison has been as advertised and fills in naturally as the team’s top receiving option.
Arizona also has its answer in the slot. His name? Greg Dortch.
But how the depth chart shakes out immediately behind Harrison is where things get interesting.
Entering the offseason, all signs pointed to Wilson taking the WR2 reins. The 6-foot-2 wideout flashed as a rookie behind 38 catches, 565 yards and three touchdowns across 13 games played. He accounted for seven plays of at least 20 yards and 29 first downs, even with a shoulder issue limiting his production.
He’s since moved past the lingering injury and has only improved his rapport with quarterback Kyler Murray after making it a point to get in extra work with the signal caller this offseason.
“Mike’s going to be playing for a long time,” Murray said in June. “I fully believe that. He’s one of those guys, I call him at 3 a.m. and he’s there. He loves this (expletive). I fully expect Mike to go off this year for sure.”
Wilson didn’t stop at Murray, either, quickly forming a relationship with Harrison that is seeing both sides benefit from the team up.
Jones, however, has an NFL resume that cannot be ignored.
Despite being an NFL veteran, Arizona Cardinals WR Zay Jones is always under the mindset that he can always get better.
“I believe you can always improve.” #AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/w45v0dDxSy
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 20, 2024
Appearing in 104 games (67 starts) with three teams (Buffalo, Oakland/Las Vegas, Jacksonville) across seven seasons, Jones brings plenty of experience to the role.
The veteran isn’t that far off from his best season as pro, either, setting career highs in targets (121), catches (82) and receiving yards (823) in his penultimate season with the Jaguars. He recorded five touchdowns.
In addition to his previous NFL work, Jones also has the ability to move around the formation. And as we all know by now, head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort are big fans of versatility.
He’s getting that extra work in with Murray — and his fellow pass catchers and running backs — as well.
— Kyler Murray (@K1) July 13, 2024
Final verdict
While Jones brings a wealth of experience, all signs point to the Cardinals giving Wilson a legit chance at solidifying himself as WR2.
His continued connection with Murray — and the signal caller’s high praise this offseason — tips the scale in Wilson’s favor heading into training camp.
But if availability issues crop up on the young wideout — a factor that has been around since college — Jones could take the role and run with it.
