How close are the Arizona Cardinals to finding their way back to a spot in the NFL playoffs?

Under a new head coach and a few new faces on the roster, the Cardinals will have plenty to look out for before the start of the 2023 NFL season. Arizona ended the 2022 season with a record of 4-13, going 2-11 after starting the year with a 2-2 record. They signed multiple players to one-year contracts and re-signed a few of their own veterans during the offseason, bolstering a roster that welcomed nine rookies to its ranks via the 2023 NFL Draft.

Who is one surprise player who could make or break the Cardinals' 2023 NFL season?

Isaiah Simmons

Simmons, a former first-round pick from Clemson, has played in 50 games and started in 37 since he was selected with the eighth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He played in 17 games and started in 13 for Arizona last year, earning 99 tackles, five tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, seven pass deflections and two interceptions.

First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was hired in February after spending the last few seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, showed confidence in Simmons in May.

“Yeah, had a really good talk with Isaiah. Obviously, you talk to Isaiah a lot,” Gannon said, via NBC Sports. “Really comfortable with where we're at with him. He's very comfortable with it. The option or whatever really doesn't change (anything). That's why I love when I say I'm really comfortable with where we're at and comfortable where he's at is because it doesn't change how he goes about what he's doing.

“He knows he has to play well for us and for him. That's like everybody. Really like where his mindset's at and excited to get to work with him.”

Simmons lined up all over the field for the Cardinals throughout his third season in the NFL. He played as a slot corner in 409 total snaps, a free safety for 53 snaps, a defender in the box for 297 snaps and a defender on the defensive line for 110 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

This season, he could find a more permanent spot in the secondary.

“I've been with the defensive backs so far, so we're just kind of taking it from there as of now,” Simmons said in June, via ESPN Staff Writer Josh Weinfuss. “So, moving forward, I'll be with the defensive backs.”

This season will be an important one for not just the 25-year-old, but the Cardinals' defense as a whole.

The Cardinals' defense allowed 3,915 passing yards and 2,016 rushing yards, putting them at 24th and 14th in the NFL, respectively. Their 29 passing touchdowns allowed put them on par with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans towards the bottom of the league, according to NFL.com.

Arizona's defense as a whole can improve if Simmons finds a way to fit into his role in the secondary. The former linebacker will have plenty to prove after the Cardinals declined his fifth-year option in June.

“Personally, I go about every year like it's a contract year,” Simmons said in June, via All Cardinals Publisher Donnie Druin. “I just couldn't imagine someone would go out there and not have the best season they could possibly have.

“Regardless of whether I am paid after this year or whenever, I'm going to do the best I can.”