Evaluating Cardinals WR Room in Post-DeAndre Hopkins Era
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The Arizona Cardinals move forward into the 2023 season without DeAndre Hopkins, a predictable outcome months ago that eventually took many by surprise thanks to his release rather than being traded.
However you cut it - Hopkins isn't on the team. In terms of the salary cap, it was a move that now frees Arizona of all of his salary heading into 2024 - another move in a long line of dominos that should fall in their favor in the future.
Yet for the time being, there's a major absence in Arizona's receiver's room. Competitively, at least for 2023, the Cardinals have downgraded significantly without their All-Pro receiver in the mix.
Despite the drop in talent, there's still ample opportunity for Arizona's group of receivers to make noise this season:
Evaluating Cardinals WR Room in Post-DeAndre Hopkins Era
Marquise Brown's Time to Shine
The Cardinals initially acquired Marquise Brown last year in hopes of forming one of the best WR duos in the league with Hopkins. The two played just a handful of games together thanks to suspension/injury in 2022, and now with Hopkins out of the picture, Brown steps into the role as Arizona's WR1.
Brown's a fairly talented receiver - hence why the Cardinals were willing to involve a first-round pick for his services. His ability to make big plays down the field was only shown on occasion last season, but there's a reason his nickname is "Hollywood" - and the Cardinals are hoping his lights can shine the brightest this season.
He sure hopes so, too. Brown is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract that will need premier production in order to get the payday he's seeking.
2022 stat line: 67 receptions on 107 targets for 709 yards and three receiving touchdowns
The connection between Brown and Kyler Murray never truly got the opportunity to find rhythm, and Murray's ACL rehab puts another wrinkle into an already questionable 2023 season on the offensive side of the ball.
We'll see what Brown's capable of without Murray at the helm to start the season as Arizona's lead guy, but the potential is certainly there.
Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch Slot Perfectly
Arizona has the benefit of having two receivers who can play in the slot, both with slightly different profiles.
Rondale Moore was the team's second-round pick in 2021 and showcased incredible talent during his time in Purdue. Moore came into the league with somewhat lofty expectations thanks to his speed and placement as a slot receiver in Kliff Kingsbury's offense but has yet to deliver in terms of production.
On the other side of the coin is Greg Dortch, who came into the league as an undrafted rookie free agent with - quite honestly - zero expectations of making it this far. Dortch always impressed in training camps but didn't really get the opportunity to shine until last year when Moore's injury forced Dortch into action.
Dortch responded with some impressive numbers:
Either of the two receivers are likely going to be forced outside - but which will it be?
Playing the numbers game - it looks like Moore has more experience operating out of the slot.
2022 Slot snaps (per PFF)
Greg Dortch: 428
Rondale Moore: 253
2022 wide snaps (per PFF)
Greg Dortch: 74
Rondale Moore: 196
Obviously - a small sample size doesn't make any strong cases either way, but interesting nonetheless. We'll see what new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing can cook up.
Zach Pascal Brings Tall, Veteran Presence
Arizona's consensus top three receivers (Brown/Dortch/Moore) are all at 5-9, which isn't a problem if you're running an air raid offense at the college level. Yet in the pros, size matters.
Enter: Zach Pascal, a 6-2, 215 pound receiver who has spent five years in the league - and on his fifth team. The best ability is availability, and Pascal has missed just one game in his NFL career thus far.
His best season came in 2020, where he caught 44 passes for 629 yards and five touchdowns with the Indianapolis Colts - where current Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was a defensive backs coach.
Gannon is familiar with Pascal and what he brings to the table, and opportunity could arise in 2023 for Pascal to prove himself once again. The Cardinals will need a big body in various situations, and Pascal has shown capable of providing just that.
"But if you look at the three seasons prior to that when Pascal was in Indianapolis, he received a combined 105 such targets, catching 50 and scoring nine touchdowns. That completion percentage of 47.6 on such throws ranks ahead of star WRs like Mike Williams, Terry McLaurin and D.J. Moore during the 2019-2021 span." - NFL.com's Cynthia Frelund.
Michael Wilson Hopes to Find Rookie Role
It's a crowded room - even with DeAndre Hopkins out of the picture - but third-round pick Michael Wilson could work his way into a role during his rookie campaign.
Wilson missed several games due to injury over the last three years at Stanford and is considered somewhat raw, even as a pass catcher drafted on Day 2.
Back to the size discrepancy: Wilson is 6-2 and 213 pounds. Plenty of opportunity could be on the verge for him to (at minimum) get some red zone work.
During his time at Stanford, Wilson did several things well, but nothing that separated him from others in his draft class. He's a big, athletic receiver that can move, but 2023 could see him mostly work into special teams more than anything while proving he can stay healthy.
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