The Arizona Cardinals’ fifth roster tier is where things get messy in a hurry. These are the players hovering on the edge - good enough to matter, not quite locked in enough to call themselves full-time starters.
This group is the second-largest on the roster, with 23 players. Only Tier 7 is bigger, and that one checks in at 35. The result is a crowded middle class filled with role players, shaky starters and a few names who could swing a game without ever being penciled in as weekly headliners.
The list includes Baron Browning, Zaven Collins, Kendrick Bourne, Jack Gibbens, Elijah Wilkinson, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman, Gardner Minshew, Cody Simon, Jon Gaines, Denzel Burke, Kitan Crawford, Elijah Higgins, Dante Stills, Joey Blount, Sean Murphy-Bunting, James Conner, Andrew Wingard, Andrew Billings, L.J. Collier, Devin Duvernay, Starling Thomas and Jonah Williams.
Conner is the biggest name in the bunch. Arizona reworked his contract this offseason to keep him around after he looked like a cut candidate, but the backfield has shifted around him.
With Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier added, Conner is now looking at RB3 duties in the desert. Even so, he still carries real value as a locker room leader, even if his on-field role is no longer starter-level.
There are a few players here who fit neatly into the “useful when needed” category. Browning, Reiman and Stills all land in that lane.
Browning gives Arizona a solid rotational pass rusher. Reiman matters because of what he can do for the run game.
And Stills remains one of the more underrated players on the roster.
Special teams also has a real footprint in this tier. Crawford, Blount and Duvernay are all expected to contribute there, which may not grab attention at first glance but can make a huge difference when it matters. Duvernay is the new face in that group, and he should bring a major jolt to Arizona’s return game.
Then there are the players who sit in the starter conversation without fully owning it. Collins, Wilkinson, Simon, Burke and Thomas all fit that description.
None of them were strong enough entering 2026 to be labeled no-doubt starters. Burke and Thomas bring the most upside, but they’re operating in a crowded cornerback room.
Simon is still a question mark. Collins and Wilkinson, meanwhile, are pretty much established in what they are at this stage of their careers.
Tomorrow brings Tier 4: solidified starters.
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