Cardinals Roster Tiers, Part 3: Players in Limbo

We continue to rank every single Arizona Cardinals player. Today, we enter the next tier.

Cardinals running back James Conner (6) watches from the sidelines during Cardinals training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on July 31, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Welcome to the third installment of our Arizona Cardinals roster preview, where we break down every player on the team's roster entering training camp into seven different tiers. If you missed any of our first two installments, you can click on their respective names below:

Tier 6: Players Who Need to Take The Next Step
Tier 7: Players With Everything to Prove

Today, we enter the fifth tier of Arizona's roster: Players who are on the fringe of becoming a solidified starter.

Tier 5 features the second-highest amount of players in a group at 23, trailing behind Tier 7's count of 35 players. You'll find a strong mix of players who are either top role players or weak starters, creating a unique limbo for some Cardinals.

As a reminder, players are not ranked within the tier itself.

Cardinals Roster Tiers, Part 3: Players Dangling on The Fringe

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Players in this tier: Baron Browning, Zaven Collins, Kendrick Bourne, Jack Gibbens, Elijah Wilkinson, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman, Gardner Minshew, Cody Simon, Jon Gaines, Denzel Burke, Kitan Crawford, Elijah Higgins, Dante Stills, Joey Blount, Sean Murphy-Bunting, James Conner, Andrew Wingard, Andrew Billings, L.J. Collier, Devin Duvernay, Starling Thomas, Jonah Williams

The biggest name here is Conner, who had his deal restructured this offseason to remain with Arizona despite being a cut candidate. The Cardinals added Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier to the mix, pushing him to RB3 duties in the desert. He's still very much a locker room leader, though his role on the field is clearly beneath starter now.

Browning, Reiman and Stills all enter this list as high upside role players who won't start for the Cardinals on a weekly basis but can still make an impact when called upon. Browning's a fine rotational pass rusher while Reiman is a crucial piece to Arizona getting things back on track in the run game. Stills is likely one of Arizona's most underrated players, too.

Crawford, Blount and Duvernay all figure to be impact players on special teams — which doesn't exactly fire the average fan up, though it's an often overlooked facet of the game... until you actually need it to come through. Duvernay's the only new presence and should provide a massive spark to Arizona's return game.

Collins, Wilkinson, Simon, Burke and Thomas all enter the picture as potential starters, though none were strong enough entering 2026 to label them as solidified, no-doubt starters. Burke and Thomas offer the most upside, though they're in a highly competitive CB room while the jury is still out on Simon. Collins and Wilkinson simply are what they are at this point in their careers.

Come back tomorrow for the fourth tier: Solidified starters.