As the Cardinals head toward training camp, azcardinals.com takes a look at each position on the roster before report day. Next up, cornerback.
THE ROOM: Denzel Burke, Kei'Trel Clark, Elijah Culp, Jaden Davis, Will Johnson, Elijah Jones, Kalen King, Max Melton, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Starling Thomas V, Garrett Williams
WHO COULD SEE THE FIELD ON GAME DAY: Will Johnson, Denzel Burke, Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas V, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Max Melton
The Cardinals have spent a lot of high-end draft capital on the position the past few years: Seven of the corners on the roster were drafted by Arizona, four in the second and third rounds. You build for success, you build for depth. Johnson played well enough last season to show why he should be a quality second-round choice. Burke, a fifth-rounder, came out of nowhere to earn a starting job and was effective in carving out that role. But what happens when Williams and Thomas finally are able to play after serious injuries? How does Murphy-Bunting fit in after missing all of last season? These are the things that get sorted out in training camp.
PLAYER IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Max Melton
Johnson is a second rounder that seems to have hit. The Cardinals are still trying to find that with Melton, a second-round selection that has been excellent on special teams but has yet to find consistent footing on defense. Melton's athleticism is evident. He was drafted where he was for a reason. But he faces the inevitable comparisons with the other three cornerbacks drafted right in front of him (Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Kamari Lassiter) and a crowded depth chart in his own room to find a bigger role.
PLAYER TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Garrett Williams
Williams tore his Achilles in December. That's an injury that usually waylays a guy for nearly a year. But coach Mike LaFleur said Williams might actually have a chance to play Week 1 against the Chargers, which would be a remarkable recovery – and it would also make the decisions of who will play and when that much more tangled. It would be an excellent development, however; Williams has played well when healthy and for all the injuries the Cardinals have suffered since last year, good injury news would be welcome.
