One Under-the-Radar Player Who Stood Out to Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur in Training Camp

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals, in terms of talent, have notable names on both sides of the ball.

Safety Budda Baker has earned Pro Bowl nods in all but one season of his career. Tight end Trey McBride is one of the best players at his position. Outside linebacker Josh Sweat looks to build off his 12-sack performance from last season while rookie running back Jeremiyah Love headlines an exciting crop of young Cardinals talent.

Those guys will dominate headlines throughout the 2026 season, and rightfully so.

However, if the Cardinals will truly get to where they're wanting to go this year, they'll need a plethora of players to make the next step. Maybe not quite relying on some overlooked guys at the bottom of the roster, but rather players who can step up when their name's called.

Head coach Mike LaFleur, speaking with reporters for the final time at training camp, couldn't talk highly enough about second-year safety Kitan Crawford.

"He is the epitome of play style. He loves ball. You know how you just have some of those guys that you can look in their eyes, and you're like, 'man, he's got bad intentions in a good way.'" said LaFleur.

"Because you got to have bad intentions when you head out on the football field. It's violent, and if you don't, someone probably that you're going against does. So he is made of all the right stuff. He just wants to do whatever is best for the football team, whether that's on special teams or obviously on defense. I think he's carving himself out even more of a role on defense as he's gotten more and more comfortable in this [defense]."

Crawford didn't play much in 2025 — just about 14% of defensive snaps, though he did fill-in well when needed. That, on top of his 80% of special teams snaps played last season, made him a solid floor-raiser for a Cardinals safety room that saw Jalen Thompson depart in free agency.

Crawford won't start, at least not with Budda Baker, Andrew Wingard and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson ahead of him.

Yet when it comes to Arizona's heavy usage of dime packages and the grueling reality of an NFL season, Crawford's sure to get more opportunity in 2026 — which is also thanks in part to the unfortunate departure of fellow safety Joey Blount to injured reserve.

"What an awesome deal for a young safety to be in a room with Budda Baker every single day, right? And just learn from someone like him. So couldn't be more pleased with him. Really think the player is ascending. Really think the player can be special. I think the person is even better," LaFleur added on Crawford.

Crawford, affectionately called "Bug" by his teammates and coaches, is impressing coaches both young and seasoned. Even senior defensive coach Teryl Austin offered promising remarks on Crawford:

"I think there's some young guys [who have stood out]. I think Bug has stood out. You watch his play temperament, like it's fun," said Austin.

Crawford was one of Arizona's top-graded players from their Hall of Fame Game last week, according to Pro Football Focus. Thus far, his mix of rookie tape, training camp improvement in year two and preseason debut makes for an exciting young presence in the Cardinals' safety room.

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