Kitan Crawford may not be the biggest name in the Arizona Cardinals’ camp, but he’s been impossible for Mike LaFleur to ignore.
With Budda Baker, Trey McBride, Josh Sweat and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love drawing most of the attention around Arizona, Crawford has gone about his work as one of the quieter stories in the building. That changed when LaFleur met with reporters for his final training camp availability and made it clear the second-year safety has earned notice.
“He is the epitome of play style. He loves ball. You know how you just have some of those guys that you can look in their eyes, and you're like, 'man, he's got bad intentions in a good way.'" said LaFleur.
“Because you got to have bad intentions when you head out on the football field. It's violent, and if you don't, someone probably that you're going against does.
So he is made of all the right stuff. He just wants to do whatever is best for the football team, whether that's on special teams or obviously on defense.
I think he's carving himself out even more of a role on defense as he's gotten more and more comfortable in this [defense].”
Crawford’s path in 2025 was built more on utility than spotlight. He played about 14% of Arizona’s defensive snaps, but he handled 80% of the special teams workload and gave the Cardinals a dependable option when they needed him. That mattered in a safety room that lost Jalen Thompson in free agency.
He still isn’t projected to open as a starter, with Budda Baker, Andrew Wingard and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson ahead of him. But the Cardinals’ heavy dime usage and the wear-and-tear that comes with an NFL season should create more chances in 2026. Joey Blount’s move to injured reserve also leaves another opening in the room.
“What an awesome deal for a young safety to be in a room with Budda Baker every single day, right? And just learn from someone like him.
So couldn't be more pleased with him. Really think the player is ascending.
Really think the player can be special. I think the person is even better,” LaFleur added on Crawford.
The praise hasn’t stopped with LaFleur. Senior defensive coach Teryl Austin also singled him out, calling him out among the young players who have stood out.
“I think there's some young guys [who have stood out]. I think Bug has stood out. You watch his play temperament, like it's fun,” said Austin.
Crawford, who teammates and coaches call “Bug,” also turned heads in Arizona’s Hall of Fame Game last week. According to Pro Football Focus, he was one of the Cardinals’ top-graded players in that game. Between his rookie-year film, his camp progress and his preseason debut, Crawford is making a strong case as an emerging piece in Arizona’s safety group.
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Monti Ossenfort was quick to praise LaFleurs overall plan and the way he has kept the focus on the roster as a whole, not just the flash points. There is still plenty to clean up, as there always is in camp, but the bigger takeaway is that the Cardinals believe this start can be different from the usual summer optimism. Whether that carries into the season will come later, but the foundation LaFleur laid in camp at least gave the organization a reason to think about what comes next with more confidence. [Read more 🡒]