Arizona Cardinals: 3 Players who must be better in 2021

With Kyler Murray and a host of big-name additions, the Arizona Cardinals need to deliver results in 2021 but they’ll need these players to be better. 

There’s no denying that the Arizona Cardinals are exciting. Drafting quarterback Kyler Murray — in addition to the way he’s performed out of the blocks — and pairing him with head coach Kliff Kingsbury has ensured as much. But making big splashes with signings like J.J. Watt and A.J. Green while adding Rodney Hudson as well only added fuel to the fire.

Excitement, however, has not necessarily translated to success. Arizona is just 13-18-1 over two seasons with Murray and Kingsbury but, clearly, they are being aggressive in trying to improve upon that. That’s necessary given the growing presence of the NFC West, an increasingly competitive division.

So while Watt will obviously give the defensive line a boost and Hudson can stabilize the offensive front, the Cardinals still need help from elsewhere in the 2021 NFL season. Specifically, they need a handful of players to be better than they were a year ago if they’re going to compete, namely by making the playoffs.

The Arizona Cardinals need these 3 players to be better than they were last season

3. A.J. Green, WR – Obviously, Green wasn’t in Arizona last year as he was one of the franchise’s high-profile offseason additions. That being said, the veteran wide receiver was a shell of his former self in 2020. Despite playing all 16 games, he managed just 47 catches on 104 targets with just 523 yards and two touchdowns.

Coming off an injury the previous season, Green looked slow, unpolished and ineffective. While DeAndre Hopkins is great and there is speed around him, the Cardinals added Green in hopes of making the passing attack more dangerous. For that to actually happen, though, the former Bengal needs to drink from the Fountain of Youth and return to much better form.

2. Kelvin Beachum, OT – Finally staying healthy, D.J. Humphries performed as one of the better tackles in the league last year. And the addition of Rodney Hudson should improve the offensive line. Yet, that doesn’t mean that Kelvin Beachum on the right edge of the line doesn’t need to be a more stabilizing veteran presence than he was last year.

Beachum ranked just 46th among 79 qualifying offensive tackles in overall PFF grade (subscription required) in his first season with the Cardinals in 2020. For Murray and the Arizona offense to reach their full potential, they need him to be a more consistent passer, which also means having him better protected consistently. Thus, Beachum doesn’t need to even be on Humphries’ level but does need to be better than below-average.

1. Isaiah Simmons, LB – Given his immense athletic pedigree that brought him into the league with a hybrid linebacker/safety label, it shouldn’t be shocking that Simmons shined as a coverage player last season, ranking 13th in the NFL in that aspect according to PFF (subscription required). However, he struggled at the more traditional linebacker roles.

Now, with drafting versatile Zaven Collins in the first round this year, perhaps the plan for Arizona’s defense is to let Simmons operate in a coverage-heavy hybrid role. But, if the Cardinals insist on him being a more traditional linebacker, he needs to become a more sound player when it comes to filling gaps against the run and staying in the necessary spots to make plays.