By Walter Mitchell
On Twitter recently:
Kudos to @JKBOGEN for creating these rankings. It's always interesting to discuss positional rankings. particularly seeing how close so many of the decisions are.
Realistic Goals for Cardinals:
QB: Brissett cracks the top 3.
RB: Love cracks the top 2. Allgeier cracks the top 4.
WR: Wilson remains in the top 3. Harrison cracks the top 5.
TE: McBride takes over the #1 ranking.
OL: Johnson cracks the top 5. Seumalo cracks the top 6. Froholdt cracks the top 7.
DT: Nolen cracks the top 3.
DE/EDGE: Sweat cracks the top 3.
LB: Simon cracks the top 3.
CB: Johnson cracks the top 4. Elijah Jones cracks the top 6.
S: Baker cracks the top 3. Taylor-Demerson cracks the top 5.
Red Rain Questions:
What goals do you have for the Cardinals' top players in 2026? Which of mine do you agree and disagree with?
If
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
#49ers #Cardinals
I liked your list - achievable; I would add we need Robinson or Lopez to break into top 6 and Burch to make the list. What this team has lacked since BA left is some confidence and focus on winning.
ReplyDeleteQB-I'd just like to see JB in a Cards uniform this season
ReplyDeleteRB-Love is 1-2, maybe behind McCaffery because of scheme(no one runs the ball better than Shanny Jr), and Cards entourage of RBs will be division best-Love, Connor, Algier-this is a bet I would make. If they trade Connor, Love and Algier should be ranked above Williams Corum.
WR-I can't suggest any real opinion BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHO THE QB WILL BE FOR THE CARDS with TC starting tomorrow! Who's throwing the ball? Otherwise Wilson ranked perfectly and
MHJ too low -better than Kupp etc...
TE-McBride all day #1 even if Kittle is Niners #1 option, Trey is better and still ascending
OL-Paris is #2. Curious how anyone could rank a guard ahead of a LT-In fact, I think Cross should be ranked 3rd and Dotson 4th. Bogen has Zabel who never played an NFL snap ranked above PJJ? BOTTOM LINE-Cardinals OL is improved but still likely the NFC West's weakest unit.Clear question mark is RT, lowest ranked, Wilkinson projects to start and profiles as the weak link. HTF can the FO justify this?
DT-unfortunately, I have to agree with the ranking unless you find a way to include expectations/promise-then Nolen gets a 3 player jump. I have little faith in Robinson making an impact.
DE/Edge-again I'll have to agree with the rankings chart-so, if correct, we again will have the worst pass rushing Division and this will be the team's achilles heel/downfall unless our new DL coach can work some magic without magic to work with.
So here you have it-our trenches are not good. Will they improve? If they don't significantly, this rebuild continues on neutral.
LB-I have Wilson at 4 and Simon at 5 and Pappoe on the list instead of Gibbons for no reason except wanting Pappoe to develop, hit and stick.
CB-I have Williams, playing slot, at #3-ranking him behind three 49ers corners (Green, Lenoir, Stout) doesn't match the production. He should be roughly 3rd–5th among division corners — behind only Witherspoon and McDuffie among proven starters, and arguably ahead of Lenoir.Johnson at 5-6 and think E Jones, if he gets time on the field, will be a top 10 rank. No way is Jobe better than our 3 including Burke. How does anyone rank Watson ahead of McDuffie? Makes me question the methodology.
S Budda listed 7th? This alone questions credibility of this ranking effort into question. Slotting him behind the likes of Julian Love, a rookie in Emmanwori, and both Rams safeties is far too low. He belongs first or second in the division at the position.