Monti's Draft Picks Who Should Be 2026 Starters and Key Role Players
By Walter Mitchell
Starting Caliber:
LT Paris Johnson Jr.
RG Jon Gaines II
TE Tip Reiman (12/13 personnel)
WR Michael Wilson
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
DT Walter Nolen III
DE Darius Robinson (Coach Kwiatkowski Special)
LB Cody Simon
CB Elijah Jones
CB Will Johnson
FS Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
Key Role and/or Special Teams Players
G Isaiah Adams
C/G Hayden Conner
DE Dante Sills
LB Owen Pappoe
OLB Jodan Burch
CB Max Melton
CB Denzel Burke
S/CB Garrett Williams
S Kitan Crawford
Time to Prove It
RB Trey Benson
T Christian Jones
WR Tejhaun Palmer
OLB B.J. Ojulari
CB Kei'trel Clark
CB Jaden Davis
Opinion:
Impressive but largely underdeveloped talent ---> stronger coaching needed.
"Impressive but largely underdeveloped talent ---> stronger coaching needed."
ReplyDeleteThe mantra of most Cardinals teams of old and new alike...
Some of your key role players (e.g. O Pappoe, G Williams, I Adams, M Melton) might be considered as prove-it years. All have flashed why they belong.
While most (if not all) of the starting caliber players could be considered as under-performing and needing more consistency to their game. You're still higher on E Jones then N Rallis believes (rightly or wrongly), so I think E Jones needs to prove it and leave no doubt about his role.
I would say most of your prove it players are 'cut/trade candidates'
Nick Rallis' personnel use is awful. He kowtows to veterans who are ill-suited for their roles (Mack Wilson Sr.as a MIKE, Kyzir White as a MIKE, Sean Murphy-Bunting as a slot CB, Garrett Williams as a man-to-man slot CB, etc. and he plays mind games with younger players. Ask Max Melton. He generates consistent confidence in no one.
DeleteNick Rallis is Awful...in every aspect. He has consistently gotten less from players than more. His defenses every year have cratered the last half of season, I forget overall D ranking numbers but for his three years as DC he has not finished in top half of NFL teams - and in fact finished in lower 1/4 I believe every year. Why he was retained seems like an epic FO failure as the owner, GM, and FO staff made it impossible to attract anyone better. I feel that is same reason MB stuck with MO. MB IMO is still the #1 obstacle of this team ever finding any modicum of success.
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