Arizona Cardinals training camp battles: CB1

Arizona Cardinals training camp is nearly here, with players reporting to State Farm Stadium on Tuesday. Along with it come positional battles that’ll help shape the team in 2024.

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 this offseason, having to make those tough roster decisions is a good problem to have.

This time, it’s all about the competition surrounding CB1 and the other starting roles within the room.

Cardinals training camp battles: CB1

This one may take the cake as the biggest training camp battle to watch given the need for an improved secondary.

Refresher time! As we all saw last year, the Cardinals were among the league’s worst defensively. A lot of onus has been on Arizona’s run defense, which allowed a league-high 143.2 rushing yards per game. It was tied for the fifth worst in rushing touchdowns with 19.

The Cardinals didn’t fare much better against the pass, allowing the 13th-most yards at 212.5 yards per game and third-most touchdowns with 32. Let’s not forget about the second-highest passer rating allowed at 102.9. Only the Washington Commanders (105.7) posted a worse mark.

In hopes of bucking that trend in Year 2, general manager Monti Ossenfort went to work retooling the cornerbacks room, highlighted by veteran free-agent signing Sean Murphy-Bunting.

Murphy-Bunting brings the type of experience Arizona needs at the position, having played five seasons between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-22) and Tennessee Titans (2023) that included a Super Bowl run with the former in 2020.

Now entering Year 6 with his third NFL squad, the Cardinals are hoping Murphy-Bunting can bring stability to the starting lineup.

Given his track record and three-year contract, Murphy-Bunting will command a starting spot this season.

But is his standing as Arizona’s CB1 already solidified? That’s up for debate with plenty of younger candidates to consider.

They may not have the same type of experience as Murphy-Bunting, but the trio of second-year pros Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas and Kei’Trel Clark are surely going to get an opportunity.

Of those three, Williams is the most intriguing.

Making his way back from a torn ACL suffered in college, Williams slid into the role of nickel corner and didn’t look back. Starting in six of his nine games played, Williams registered 23 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed as a rookie. It didn’t take long for Williams to show off his abilities, recording the INT in his first NFL game.

That being said, Williams brings the versatility necessary to compete for CB1.

Before getting drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the former Syracuse cornerback spent the majority of his time on the outside from 2020-22.

But if Williams makes the move to either CB1 or CB2, then another position of need opens up at nickel.

Thomas meanwhile picked up early praise from Rallis and his peers throughout organized team activities and minicamp following 12 games played (seven starts) for Arizona as an undrafted rookie.

He also picked up valuable experience out wide, recording 402 of his 540 total snaps on the outside, per Pro Football Focus.

As for Clark, he’s got to harness his early season energy and regain consistency after falling out of the rotation midway through the season. Arizona clearly saw something out of him to begin 2023, starting five of the first six games of the year.

The final wave of starting candidates comes from Arizona’s 2024 draft class.

Max Melton leads the way after Arizona used a second-round pick on the former Rutgers corner. Third-rounder Elijah Jones and seven-round pick Jaden Davis give the Cardinals more youthful options in the room.

“We be learning together. … We don’t have any real vets,” Melton told Arizona Sports’ Cardinals Corner last month. “Only real vet we have is Sean Murphy-Bunting.

“It’s a growing process. We’re growing together and I just can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Much like Williams, Melton made his name patrolling the outside in college. He found the football in that role, recording two or more interceptions in each of his final three seasons at Rutgers. He chipped in 93 tackles, eight for loss, a sack, 22 passes defensed and three fumble recoveries.

Final verdict

Murphy-Bunting currently has a lead in the CB1 department, but Williams, Melton and Thomas could make a case for at least one of the starting roles along the outside with a productive showing at training camp.

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