6 Risers, 4 Fallers Shaking Up Cardinals Depth Chart After Raiders Game

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are home and recovering from their preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders, one that sparked plenty of hope and fire from the fan base thanks to Mike LaFleur's offensive performance.

There's winners and losers to take from what we saw in Allegiant Stadium (which we covered here), though the Cardinals' depth chart very much remains in flux as we approach Arizona's final two preseason games.

6 risers (and 4 fallers) to note after the dust settled in the Vegas heat:

Risers

Arizona Cardinals WR Jalen Brook — Aug 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Jalen Brooks (86) carries the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

RB Corey Kiner: With Bam Knight firmly in the RB4 spot, Kiner seems to be surpassing the injured Trey Benson for the spot — who has been absent from practice the last few days and likely won't play in preseason — for the spot below. Kiner out-gained Jeremiyah Love by one yard on one less carry and looked strong in Las Vegas.
WR Jalen Brooks: Look, Brooks is getting harder and harder to ignore. He seemingly catches everything thrown his way and has nearly 150 receiving yards between his first two preseason games. The Cardinals will have some tough conversations in regards to the WR room, but if Brooks keeps pace like this, he'll end up on the roster.
OL Jon Gaines: This is unfortunately due to Chase Bisontis' injury, which appears to be knocking the second-round pick out for a while. Gaines is the second-team center, though now his versatility to play along any of the three inside OL spots sees him shoot up to a replacement for any of Arizona's three starters in the interior. He did play well yesterday in Vegas.
LB Jack Gibbens: Gibbens, a free agent signing, had mostly rotated behind Cody Simon as a second-string inside backer during training camp but got the green light to start next to Mack Wilson Sr. in Las Vegas. Gibbens tallied four tackles in his short stint on the field and has now put himself back into those starting conversations.
CB Denzel Burke: This may feel a bit like cheating since the Cardinals' cornerback competition is wide open, though Burke certainly saw his stock rise with a game-high two passes defensed and an impressive hit-stick to force an incompletion. He's very much in the mix to start opposite of Will Johnson and could be considered a favorite.
LB Karson Sharar: Sharar is battling for a general roster spot in Arizona as a sixth-round pick, though he made plays on both special teams and led the Cardinals with five tackles (all solo, one TFL). He might have just surpassed Owen Pappoe on the ILB depth chart.

Fallers

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsett — Cardinals wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (9) warms up during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 28, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette: Such is life in a volatile receiver battle. With practically one spot up for grabs, Smith-Marsette found himself in the early lead during camp before Brooks' recent performances have made this a tougher conversation. Smith-Marsette's one reception for seven yards last night didn't quite help offset the noise made by Brooks. There's still time left, but as of now, Brooks leapfrogs Smith-Marsette.
OLB BJ Ojulari: Oddly enough, the other No. 9 in Arizona appears on this side of the list. Ojulari made an appearance with the starters on the opening drive before lasting all through the final moments of action. In preseason, that's not good — and Ojulari's inability to again make an impact further drops him below camp standout Eku Leota.
ILB Cody Simon: This might just be a temporary drop, but a drop nonetheless. Simon paced Arizona's ILB in starting snaps during training camp but took a backseat to the aforementioned Gibbens in Vegas. This isn't a battle that's over, but Simon might not be penned into that starting role like initially believed.
DE Darius Robinson: This might not be a direct fall on the depth chart, as the Cardinals constantly rotate their front line of defense, but Robinson again was swallowed by blocks in both the run game and pass rush. If he continues these performances, DC Nick Rallis has other options to rely on in the room.

Add us as a preferred source on Google