Three Bold Predictions for Cardinals Rookies

With plenty of fresh life in the desert, who could step up ahead of 2024?

May 10, 2024; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (33) during rookie minicamp at the teams Tempe Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA-- The Arizona Cardinals welcomed a plethora of young talent to their squad from the 2024 NFL Draft, and even some undrafted free agent signings. With all eyes on the big prize of Marvin Harrison Jr., the Cardinals have steadily brought in players to address varying levels of need for their future development.

With that in mind, here are three (possibly bold) predictions about the true impact of the NFL's biggest rookie class since 1992:

RB Trey Benson takes a large committee role

James Conner is the workhorse. Don't get me wrong, he's going to be the ground and pound guy, and the guy Arizona turns to when they need a yard or two. He'll take an exceptional amount of carries, but it might not be out of pure necessity anymore.

Conner eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career in 2023, but he wasn't without some injury issues. The fact that he missed four games and still put up those numbers speaks to his insane level of production.

But, with an obvious next-in-line to take over from him, what can we actually expect out of Trey Benson?

Benson profiles well as a second coming of Conner. With HC Jonathan Gannon constantly looking to work rotations into both his offense and defense, there is likely to be a much bigger load share between Benson and Conner than one might expect.

Michael Carter filled in with some clutch plays as the secondary back, but his play style doesn't fill in the gaps of Conner well.

Benson could be in line for an increased number of carries, helping to spell Conner, keep him healthy and still produce at a high rate on the ground. The rookie was stellar at Florida State, averaging well over five yards per carry in both of his seasons there.

He put up 1,895 yards and 23 touchdowns over two seasons. The production is there, and he has a similar type of physicality to Conner, but with more speed. He's in prime position to make a big impact on Arizona's run game, and fast.

Michael Wilson benefits the most from MHJ

Okay, you got me. I know Michael Wilson isn't a rookie, but with all eyes on Marvin Harrison Jr. to deliver an insane rookie season, Wilson could actually be the main benefactor.

Wilson put up 565 yards on 38 receptions in 2023. That translates to 14.9 yards per reception. He struggled with injury in college, and struggled again with injury in the 2023 NFL season, missing four games, and clearly playing injured in some of his starts.

But Wilson has a very high ceiling. He's an intellectual player, a student of the game and a hard worker. His size, speed and agility make him a viable deep-threat, but he can also work the sidelines and middle of field just fine. He struggled to get open at times, but was likely not fully recovered from injury at those points, and it took a while to build a rapport with his QB, moving from Joshua Dobbs to Clayton Tune to Kyler Murray mid season.

With a full off-season of work with Murray, and MHJ riding into town, Wilson could be the forgotten factor of Arizona's WR core, and that will pay dividends in 2024. With teams likely to obsess over covering MHJ, while still focusing on Arizona's strong run game and keeping an eye on Trey McBride, Wilson could easily find the weakness of any secondary.

This is not to assume Harrison will serve as simply a decoy, but the benefit of a terrifying WR prospect, coupled with an already-established TE and ground game could leave him the odd man out of opposing defenses' game plans, leaving him wide open to strive for a 1,000 yard season.

TE Tip Reiman is going to be a very valuable asset

Many were a little concerned about using such a high pick on the big tight end out of Illinois. Will he do much to rival Trey McBride's production through the air? Probably not, but there might be some sneaky clutch receptions for the big man, depending on how OC Drew Petzing wants to use him.

Regardless of whether or not he hauls in a bunch of passes, Reiman is going to be a massive asset in the blocking game. At 6-foot-5, 271 pounds, but with the highest graded athleticism score in his position group for the 2024 draft, there's no doubt he'll find a way to contribute.

With an infectious personality, that can hide behind a maniacal, "mauler" front, Reiman is going to be a big part of this team's offense in some way.

The Cardinals are redefining their offense as run-first, and it's worked to immediate success, even in a four-win 2023 season. A big, versatile, athletically mobile mountain on the line who can pull and charge into battle ahead of Conner and Benson will be a massive upgrade over Geoff Swaim, who was certainly no slouch in in the run game.

Reiman looks to be the guy who begins the avalanche for Arizona, and the offense will certainly benefit from it.

The Cardinals have plenty of potential wrapped up in their rookie class. While none of these takes might be insane, the truth is that, outside of MHJ, Arizona's rookies are likely to be an immediate impact.

With a competent, professional GM in Monti Ossenfort making roster decisions, it will be very intriguing to keep an eye on these high-ceiling young players.