Patrick Peterson recently claimed the 2020 roster for the Arizona Cardinals is the best one on paper he's been a part of. Its worth nothing that Peterson has only been on 3 winning teams since becoming a Cardinal in 2011 but one of those was a 13-3 team that was one step away from the Super Bowl.
But, is it possible that he's right? That the 2020 roster is the most loaded of the last 10 years?
In order to figure out, we have to combine the two things that I love more than anything: arbitrarily ranking things and football.
Here's my ranking of the 10 best players on the 2020 Cardinals roster.
2020 Top 10:
10.Jordan Phillips, DT
- Last year he was second in the NFL in sacks amongst defensive tackles. Two years ago he was a second round bust cut by the Dolphins. Not sure exactly what he'll be with a three year/$30 million dollar contract but he sneaks into the top 10 based on his potential to approximate last year's performance.
9.DJ Humphries, OT
- Humphries finally stayed healthy last year and turned in a decent performance at LT. His talent level is there but consistency and durability have been challenges. Still, he's just 26 and has the potential to grow football old with Kyler Murray.
8.Larry Fitzgerald, WR
- Listen, Fitz is still #1 in the hearts and minds of Cardinals fans but he's no longer the game to game impact player that he was at his apex. He's a difference maker, a player that can single handedly turn the emotion of the game and a valuable outlet for Kyler Murray but he's not a top 5 player on this team right now.
7.Kenyan Drake, RB
- We only saw eight games from Drake and while the overall numbers looked good and he likely helped fantasy owners to fantasy glory for those of us that watched closely, there were still some questions. He's a fantastic fit in Kliff Kingsbury's scheme and motivated to cash on after signing his transition tag but I'll need to see it over a full season before bumping him up on this list.
6.Budda Baker, S
- Everyone wants Baker to be Ty Mathieu 2.0 but they are different players. Baker is a fun player to watch and plays bigger than his size but he's not the same kind of coverage weapon as Mathieu and not the same player in the box as Honey Badger either. Still, he's capable of making big plays and has room to grow especially with an improved cast on defense.
5.Jordan Hicks, ILB
- Hicks may be the most underrated player on the roster. He's a physical player with a nose for the ball. He can make plays sideline to sideline and stick his nose in a few fans as well. He has durability questions from earlier in his career but last year for the Cardinals, he was downright spectacular at times.
4.Patrick Peterson, CB
- This is probably the lowest Peterson would rank on any Cardinals roster from the beginning of his career until now. Part of that is the strength of this team at the top and part of that was a weird 2019 that saw him serve a six game PED suspension only to return as a shell of himself before turning it back on to vintage P2 mode for the last few games. Peterson is a Hall of Famer and could be #1 on this list in a year but still has some concerns from the PED suspension following him.
3.DeAndre Hopkins, WR
- We haven't seen a single snap between Hopkins and Kyler Murray but man, you know its going to be fun. Hopkins is a top 5 WR in the league that should only make everyone's life on offense easier.
2.Chandler Jones, Edge
- Jones has gone from woefully underrated and under-appreciated as recently as a year ago to finally getting the credit he deserves. He was a DPOY candidate a year ago and a constant menace as a pass rusher. He leads the NFL in sacks since he entered the league and should finally have a permanent seat at the best defenders in football table.
1.Kyler Murray, QB
- All things are possible with Kyler at the top spot. He is The One for the Cardinals franchise. Sure, his resume is much lighter than the Hall of Fame players that are 2-4 on this list but make no mistake Murray is the best player on the team. He's an athlete's athlete. When he steps on the field, his athleticism and skill set makes even the best athletes stop and watch. It might feel a bit premature putting him at the top spot but let's talk in a year.