TEMPE — The NFL Draft can be a weird time for veteran players.
While adding talent can move the needle toward the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, there’s the other side of the coin of potentially being usurped by a young prospect.
Following this year’s draft, two Arizona Cardinals are likely feeling the pressure ahead of their third NFL seasons.
With the addition of running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall, Arizona’s running backs room got much more crowded.
Love automatically moves to the top of the depth chart given his abilities and where he was drafted. He’ll likely be complimented by Tyler Allgeier, who served in that role well alongside Bijan Robinson in Atlanta. James Conner is still in the mix, too, and Bam Knight provides a special teams option.
So where does Benson fit in?
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Similar to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Benson entered Year 2 bulked up and ready to make his mark in the offense.
Instead, he failed to live up to the hype. Appearing in just four games (one start) before a knee injury cut his season short, Benson just couldn’t find consistent traction.
Barring injury, getting back into the starting lineup (or even the rotation) seems like an uphill climb for Benson at this point.
The other Cardinal who is likely looking over their shoulder a little more than before the draft kicked off? Guard Isaiah Adams.
Arizona added a beast of guard prospect in Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis in the second round.
Originally projected by many as a first-round talent, Bisontis figures to insert himself into the starting conversation this training camp.
There was already one less starting spot up for grabs heading into the draft, with Arizona signing veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo.
It feels even more dried up now.
If Adams is going to make a case, he must get back to what he showed as a training camp standout last year but carry that consistently into the season.
Jeremiyah Love could truly be something special
The Cardinals deciding on Love as the No. 3 overall pick was met with some skepticism. Not necessarily about him, but more on what Arizona’s roster looked like heading into Thursday’s first round.
There was also the price tag attached to going No. 3 overall, with Love shooting up the ranks as the seventh-highest paid NFL running back before taking a snap.
Those are warranted concerns — even with Love’s immense talent as a runner, pass catcher and pass protector.
Then you heard him speak.
It’s not typical for a player or coach to win an introductory press conference. For the most part, it’s more about checking the box before really diving in.
Love, however, stood up there and delivered, clearly not overlooking the moment.
But it was his dad, Jason, who really put the exclamation point on the day and hitting home the type of person the Cardinals are getting in his son.
Need an idea of Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love’s character?
His dad Jason paints a good picture of what that looks like ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UWlMqBcEl6
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) April 24, 2026
“(Making it to the NFL) was never the goal. The goal was to be great and to be better every day. In hindsight now, I can see all the benchmarks that led us to this position,” Jason Love said Friday.
“It was never, ‘We’re going to the NFL.’ We chose to go to Notre Dame, he turned down a lot of money — some seven figures — and he was like, ‘I’m going to get that. I’m going to earn it anyway. Dad, you always told me to earn it the hard way. I just want to earn it before I get to enjoy it.’ … His inner strength, I know he’s going to make a difference.”
The question marks remain as to what the offensive line will put on tape in 2026 after struggling last year.
Love, however, didn’t waste time erasing doubt of what he can be for this franchise both on and off the field.
Favorite pick of the draft
I could have taken the easy road and continued to talk Love here. He was that impressive.
Instead, I’m looking at the guy the Cardinals brought in to block for him.
On top of easing some concerns with Arizona’s first-round addition of Love, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Bisontis is a specimen.
I can already see Ron Wolfley grinning from ear to ear when Bisontis joins Wolf & Luke this offseason.
Highly regarded as one of the top guards this draft class, he allowed just two sacks combined at left guard across the past two seasons. That’s 1,357 snaps in the SEC.
Sure, he’s got to clean up the 19 penalties in his three seasons as an Aggie, but his protection speaks for itself.
Chase Bisontis pass pro pic.twitter.com/AZU8xyQUFj
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) November 18, 2025
I would have loved to see the offensive tackle spot addressed in Day 2, but I can get fully onboard with Arizona coming away with its guard for the present and future.
Another move I really liked was the selection of Southeastern Louisiana defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor in the fourth round.
The first FCS player off the board this draft, he presents a super athletic option in the trenches for Arizona.
And before you say “but it’s the FCS,” the 6-foot-1, 291-pounder got after LSU last year to the tune of two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Southeastern Louisiana DI Kaleb Proctor vs. LSU. Might be my favorite small-school prospect in this class. Knifes through double teams like a shark, and jumps gaps like a running back. A 6’2″, 291-pound rolling ball of butcher knives. pic.twitter.com/bf2btlYGWY
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 14, 2026
“I think we got a lot of guys here that played a lot of ball. … I think we have a group that’s a good mix of guys that are experienced and that played a lot,” GM Monti Ossenfort said of the pass rushers on the roster.
“We got to find a way to put them in the best position. Always going to look to add and increase and raise the talent level, but it just didn’t work out that way to add to that group over the last three days.”
QB questions remain for Cardinals
The Cardinals did what many expected in their selection of a quarterback this draft with the third-round pick of Miami’s Carson Beck.
And boy did it create some division between the Cardinals fanbase.
On one side, people loved the pick, referencing Beck’s massive amount of college experience and accuracy that was on display last year at Miami.
On the other, fans were left wondering why the team decided to burn a high third-round pick on someone who likely won’t move the offense in the right direction in 2026. His lack of success under pressure was a main talking point.
The discord Friday night honestly gave me some Kyler Murray flashbacks from the weekly discourse between stans and naysayers.
Light on defense
This time last year, one of the big storylines was Arizona going nearly all-in on defensive players.
Of the seven players taken, only 2025 sixth-rounder and lineman Hayden Conner played offense.
In 2026, though, that script flipped with Arizona opting for five offensive players out of the seven-pick haul.
Proctor and sixth-rounder Karson Sharar make up the only defenders taken.
Proctor could find his way into the defensive line rotation given his athleticism. Sharar, meanwhile, could carve out a meaningful role as a special teamer.
But what about the pass-rushing spot opposite Josh Sweat? That remains a glaring issue for the franchise, and it’s done little to nothing to address it.
Sweat is a walking double-digit sack getter. The rest of what remains in that room, not so much.
While Sweat paced the team with 12 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2025, the rest of the room compiled just 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
And that was between four players, with Baron Browning the next closest to Sweat in sacks with two. Zaven Collins was next in line for tackles for loss with six.
How the Cardinals generate more pressures on a consistent basis after falling flat last year is going to be one of the big question marks for the franchise until someone steps up and takes it.
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