The Arizona Cardinals swung an NFL Draft trade for former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown, giving them a formidable pass-catching corps. However, the pass-catching group was dealt a blow on Monday, as superstar wideout DeAndre Hopkins was suspended for six games due to performance enhancing drugs. However, the Cardinals still possess a talented roster of pass catchers, including the likes of Brown, A.J. Green, Zach Ertz, Rondale Moore, and the newly drafted Trey McBride. While each of these players will have to handle a larger role in the offense, these two players will specifically have to occupy a larger role as a result of the Hopkins suspension.
2 Cardinals Who Must Step Up After DeAndre Hopkins Suspension
2. Trey McBride
The Cardinals selected Colorado State tight end Trey McBride in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. McBride excelled at the small school, securing a 1000-yard season while earning unanimous first-team All-American honors. The 6-foot 3 inch, 250-pound tight end brings a ton of versatility to the Arizona offense, as he can line up out wide or in the backfield. Given that the Cardinals already have Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams, who is coming off of a major injury this past season, McBride may have been asked to play a smaller role, though he could be pivotal to the team's success following the Hopkins suspension. The Colorado State product could play more snaps, especially on the outside, to give the Cardinals an extra weapon for quarterback Kyler Murray. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury doesn't plan to utilize three-tight end sets, so that should mean plenty of packages with four and five wideouts, giving McBride plenty of opportunities to show what he can do as a rookie. The Cardinals took some criticism for picking at a position of strength. However, the McBride selection could look very good if the rookie can step up and make a huge impact in the 2022 NFL season.
1. Rondale Moore
While this year's day-two draft pick, Trey McBride, will need to step up, last year's second-rounder, Rondale Moore, will have to perform better as well. The Purdue product appeared in 14 games while hauling in 54 of 64 targets for 435 yards and a touchdown. The 21-year-old was a very sure-handed wideout for Murray, as he recorded an 84.4 catch percentage while earning a 71.2 grade from Pro Football Focus. However, Moore only played 45 percent of the offensive snaps, as he was limited to a small role in his rookie season. While the newly acquired Brown will certainly play a large role by default, Moore might just be the X-factor for Arizona. Injuries limited Moore to seven college games between his final two seasons at Purdue. However, back in 2018, Moore looked like one of the very best receivers in the nation, tallying over 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns. That's the kind of production the former Boilermaker is capable of when given the snaps and targets. With Hopkins sidelined due to his suspension, there should certainly be plenty of opportunities available. Moore must seize them in the 2022 NFL season and show the Cardinals why they made an excellent choice selecting him in the second-round last year.
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