When the Arizona Cardinals concluded last season, the receiver group looked pretty good as it was going forward. Michael Wilson had emerged as WR1, and there were injury issues with Marv Harrison. Along with TE Trey McBride, the pass catchers looked pretty good.
Greg Dortch was a free agent and signed with the Detroit Lions, who wanted his return ability. Still available in free agency is Zay Jones, but free agent Simi Fehoko was re-signed. Then, in free agency, Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort brought
in Kendrick Bourne from the San Francisco 49ers and former Chicago Bears receiver Devin Duvernay, who is now both a punt and kickoff return man.
RELATED: CARDINALS SELECT VIRGIL IN FIFTH ROUND
But the receiver room doesn’t stop there. Also under contract are Xavier Weaver, Andrew Baccellia, Tejhaun Paolmer, Bryson Green, Jalen Brooks, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
What is that? 2+3+6=11 guys in the receiver room. Hold on, Harrison Wallace III of Ole Miss was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent. That makes a dozen. Most NFL clubs only keep six during the season, plus at least two on the practice squad. What is expected is that the competition in training camp will be fierce.
However, in the fifth round of the draft, Ossenfort selected Reggie Virgil, a receiver. Yeah, another player for this room. Make that a baker’s dozen.
Who is the new guy? What is his story, and what does he offer the Cardinals?
Beginnings
Reginald Virgil was born in Apoka, Florida, and grew up in nearby Mount Dora, which is a stone’s throw up Highway 441 north of Orlando. He attended Mount Dora Christian School and played basketball and football.
He played both ways on the football team at cornerback and receiver and was a shooting forward with the basketball squad. He averaged 17.6 points a game with averages of 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.8 assists.
In football, Virgil started at receiver for two years and had 90 receptions for 1,819 yards with a 20.2 yards per catch average and scored 22 TDs. He had six fumbles and lost five.
Virgil attracted only two colleges who garnered scholarship offers: Miami of Ohio and Eastern Kentucky. He chose Miami-Ohio.
High School accolades:
- Three-star recruit
- Two-time captain
- First-Team All-State
Virgil played sparingly on the offense in the first two seasons, but he was a mainstay on special teams. In his junior year, he had 41 receptions for 816 yards with a 19.9 yards per catch average, which led the conference. He also scored nine touchdowns.
He then entered the transfer portal. Virgil was ranked by ESPN among the Top-50 players and the Top-15 receivers available in the transfer portal.
After graduating from high school with only two propositions, suddenly his phone blew up with offers. Courting him were UCF, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State, Pitt, UTSA, Texas Tech, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, West Virginia, and Arkansas.
The reason he decided to leave Miami of Ohio was to attempt to get into a bigger school with better facilities. That’s the difference between G5 and Power-4. The facilities are crazy good.
At times, players attempt to get into the training rooms or the weight room, and because the facilities were shared by every sport, it was hard for all of the athletes to get into the training room, because they shared it with a bunch of other teams.
He chose Texas Tech, which had four receivers enter the portal and was desperate for pass catchers. In his one season with Tech, his production lowered to 705 yards, but his catches increased to 57 with six TDs. He spent the majority of his time on special teams.
At Texas Tech, whatever any athlete needed, they could get. Anything they wanted to fix on the body, it was there to make players feel better. The weight room was humongous.
His Pro Day results:
Height: 6’-3”
Weight: 187 pounds
Hand: 9”
Arm: 31 1/4”
Wingspan: 74 5/8”
40-yard dash: 4.57
10-yard shuttle: 1.58
3-cone: 7.34
225-pound bench press: 30 times
Vertical jump: 36”
Broad jump: 10’6”
College games: 42
College snaps: 1,620
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Follow on social media:
Twitter: @Therealreggie11
Instagram: @therealreggie0
What should Cardinals fans expect from Virgil?
This is a big speed guy who plays scrappy and tenacious. He is very physical and can incorporate his hands with good speed, so when defenders tug on him, they aren’t able to hold him. He is a good hand-fighter. He is known for putting in the work and has a big appetite for making big plays. Very explosive. Virgil will take advantage of defensive backs vertically down the field. There is always a smile on his face. Virgil, 6-foot-3, now joins a wide receiving core that has Kendrick Bourne (6’-1”), Michael Wilson (6’-2”), and Marvin Harrison Jr. (6’-3”). That room should appease every Cardinals fan.
WHY HE COULD SUCCEED:
He has big-play threat ability. Culturally, he fits in. Virgil is a demon on special teams and has played more snaps on special teams than his offensive snaps at receiver. Excellent vertical jump at 36”, so he can get to the high point of the throw.
Legitimate speed forces cornerbacks to respect the deep ball. He has a real feel for spacing, settling in windows rather than drifting through them. He is able to sell routes and will disguise his intentions. His catch radius is huge.
College accolades:
- Honorable Mention All-Big 12
- Second-Team All-MAC
- Senior Bowl invitee
WHY HE COULD FAIL:
He has great height, but is very lean at 190 pounds. This limits his ability to fight with physical corners and then survive as a runner. Several of his routes can get rounded and loose. He needs more coaching with run blocking, and his contested catch production is underwhelming. Drops are a concern with nine in 100 career receptions. He also fails to adjust routes according to traffic.
