When asked to assess his own roster, Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort demurred. He pointed to the remaining roster-building periods, with a trickle of free agent signings still possible before Week 1.
But after the NFL draft, the vast majority of Ossenfort’s work is done. The Cardinals roster today will largely be the roster that takes the field this season.
Here, then, is a full projection of the 53-man roster.
The Arizona Cardinals introduce their first-round draft pick running back Jeremiyah Love during a news conference at the Cardinals Dignity Health training facility on April 24, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz.Cardinals take running back in 1st round of NFL draft: What's the grade?
1 / 18Jeremiyah Love introduced by Arizona Cardinals. See photosThe Arizona Cardinals introduce their first-round draft pick running back Jeremiyah Love during a news conference at the Cardinals Dignity Health training facility on April 24, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz.Cardinals take running back in 1st round of NFL draft: What's the grade?
The Arizona Cardinals introduce their first-round draft pick running back Jeremiyah Love during a news conference at the Cardinals Dignity Health training facility on April 24, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz.Cardinals take running back in 1st round of NFL draft: What's the grade?
When we last did this exercise — after free agency — it was a struggle to conjure names for the final few roster spots. This time around, the process centered more on trimming players. The Cardinals, despite their flaws, will have difficult decisions to make in August, barring significant injuries.
That is the goal, of course. But it remains true: The roster is in a much healthier place now than it was a month ago, despite a bold draft strategy that focused on luxury picks.
Quarterback (3): Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, Carson Beck
After drafting Beck in the third round, the Cardinals seem set to roster three quarterbacks. The complication would be if they move on from Brissett, who is currently missing voluntary workouts as he seeks a pay raise. But Brissett also likely has the inside track to a starting job, so the Cardinals are incentivized to find a solution — and they have plenty of time to do so.
The task for first-year Cards head coach Mike LaFleur will be finding enough developmental reps for Beck. LaFleur comes from a Los Angeles Rams organization that rarely offers practice snaps to the backup quarterback. He will likely need a different approach in Arizona.
Running back (4): Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier, James Conner, Trey Benson
At no position have the Cardinals expended more resources this offseason than running back, where they drafted Love third overall, signed Allgeier and reworked Conner’s contract. Suddenly, Benson — a 2024 third-round pick — is not assured of a roster spot. He missed most of last season with a knee injury but has been inconsistent when on the field and could be a surprise cut candidate if the Cardinals opt to keep just three running backs.
Wide receiver (5): Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Kendrick Bourne, Devin Duvernay, Reggie Virgil
After the primary free agency period, the Cardinals were remarkably thin at wide receiver. Now, they should have a healthy competition in that room. Duvernay has the inside track to a roster spot as a return specialist, and Virgil should have a chance to prove his deep-threat capabilities as a fifth-round pick. If the Cardinals opt to keep six receivers, they have plenty of options, namely, Simi Fehoko, Xavier Weaver and Jalen Brooks.
Tight end (3): Trey McBride, Elijah Higgins, Tip Reiman
The Cardinals left their tight end room untouched this offseason, and for good reason. McBride is their most important player, Higgins is a valuable receiving threat and Reiman is a crucial part of the run game due to his blocking capabilities. These three will all make the roster, while a fourth tight end would be a major surprise.
Offensive tackle (4): Paris Johnson Jr., Elijah Wilkinson, Josh Fryar, Christian Jones
Right tackle remains one of the Cardinals’ biggest question marks after the draft. Wilkinson is the favorite for the starting job, but he has spent most of his career as a backup at multiple offensive line spots. Entrusting him with the starting job from Day 1 is a risk.
Further down the depth chart, though, there should be a healthy competition for spots. Fryar, Jones and 2025 undrafted free agent Demontrey Jacobs have all shown some encouraging signs in their rare opportunities for playing time. And now, seventh-round pick Jayden Williams is in the mix as well.