After an offseason spent away from the team, Budda Baker looked like "a damn rookie" early in training camp, according to coach Bruce Arians.
The Cardinals won't play first-year guys unless they are ready, so Baker needs to prove himself throughout training camp, but he took a step in the right direction in the Hall of Fame Game.
The safety showed why General Manager Steve Keim moved up in the second round to draft him, finishing with a game-best 87.8 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
Baker had six tackles in the contest, a pass deflection and a quarterback hit when he screamed into the backfield on a blitz, looking eerily reminiscent to Tyrann Mathieu. Baker was given a PFF game ball for his performance, as he tackled well and only allowed 0.29 yards per cover snap.
The Cardinals have nice depth at safety, as Mathieu is getting back to normal while Antoine Bethea and Tyvon Branch are proven veterans. Baker, though, has rare talent, and pairing him with Mathieu is tantalizing.
It won't be easy to crack the lineup, but more preseason games like this from Baker could really force the issue.