The Arizona Cardinals are looking forward to a lot of newness this upcoming season. New head coach, new assistant coaches, new long snapper, new defenders, and lots of new bodies on the offensive side of the ball.
With new head coach Mike LaFleur, an offensive mind, required changes. First off, the offensive line needed a lot of attention. He wanted more weapons. He wanted a defense that could stop the run.
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And now that the NFL draft has come and gone, the rookie mini-camp
was scheduled for this weekend. Each draft pick, undrafted rookie free agent that was signed after the draft concluded, and fringe first-year players.
The mini-camp roster:
2026 NFL draft picks (7 players)
RB Jeremiyah Love
QB Carson Beck
LB Karson Sharar
OG Chase Bisontis
OT Jayen Williams
WR Reggie Virgil
DT Kaleb Proctor
Undrafted free agents (7 players)
CB Elijah Culp
WR Harrison Wallace III
S Wydett Williams, Jr.
TE Jameson Geers
LB Cameron Robertson
OT Ka’ena De Cambra
DT Damonic Williams
First-year players (2 players)
TE Rivaldo Fairweather
WR Tejhaun Palmer
A roster of just 16 guys is nothing for a rookie minicamp. Often, NFL teams will also include what is known as “tryout players” who are invited to minicamp, and if the coaches see anything they like, these athletes will be offered a training camp contract. Keep in mind, every player was in shorts with pads and even a helmet.
The minicamp is a vehicle teams use to get the rookies and select first-year players an introduction to what the league is like, and had a training camp feel when in reality the majority of players who showed up and participated will be their only indoctrination to Cardinals football and will be seeking employment elsewhere soon.
With a new head coach who is considered offensive-minded, it is known that the offense going forward will be heavy on the run. First-round draft pick Jeremiyah Love had already signed his rookie deal and was under every eye in the minicamp. Even his stretching exercises generated some buzz because Cardinals fans want that stud running back. He is going to be a massive weapon in this offense.
But the largest scrutiny was on QB Carson Beck, taken in Round 3. In minicamp, he was hitting most of his passes and displayed some high-level processing with good footwork. He never laid it out deep, but there were plenty of reps for the new kid, and he will have a lot of learning ahead of him. He is a big guy so there won’t be any more short QB jokes.
Consider this: if Brissett ends up a no-show once the mandatory camps begin, it could become an open competition between journeyman Gardner Minshew and Beck. That would be interesting. Right now, everything is voluntary, and in all likelihood, Brissett will handle his contract demands with his agent while he practices.
Oddly enough, the minicamp was without the traditional 11-on-11s. Maybe there wasn’t enough personnel to get into any sort of formation to achieve this. Once the rookies meld with the veterans, that won’t be an issue. This gets the new guys acclimated to the field and coaches, and helps them get acclimated to the league.
A lot of drills for defensive and offensive linemen. There are quite a few new faces with both of these groups, and it was good to see some activity. Their final draft pick, OT Jaden Williams, looked good and appeared he wants to be pushed. Should make a great backup piece this year. Kaleb Proctor showed some promise, and his play style early on is aggressive.
For the Cardinals, the OTAs begin on May 18, while the mandatory minicamp for all rostered players is scheduled for June 8-10.
