5 players who Cardinals need to be great in 2020

SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 22: Defensive back Patrick Peterson #21 of the Arizona Cardinals covers wide receiver DK Metcalf #14 of the Seattle Seahawks during game at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The Cardinals won 27-13. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

Here are the five players who must be great for the Arizona Cardinals this year.

Steve Wilks was allotted just one season as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. After a 3-13 record, he was let go. Coaching with a roster that lacked talent, and playing rookie quarterback Josh Rosen in 14 games, the firing seemed to be unwarranted.

Then, Kliff Kingsbury was hired. Pegged an offensive guru, he selected former Heisman winner Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma with the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Murray and Kingsbury linked up and did some sound work. They were 16th in points scored, and Murray won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Defensively, this is the area that dragged the team down.

In 2020, expectations will be higher after a rather steady offseason. These five players must be great for the team this upcoming season.

5 players the Arizona Cardinals need to be great in 2020

Patrick Peterson, CB

Whenever the discussion about who the best cornerback in the NFL is, or has been, the name Patrick Peterson has not come up enough. Since being drafted with the fifth-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, he has made eight Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro three times.

Yes, Peterson has eight Pro Bowls on his career resume, and he has been in the league nine years. However, last year there was a steep drop off in his play. Albeit, he was battling an injury and served a six-game suspension, resulting in him playing just 10 games in 2019.

Peterson is still a valuable asset for the Cardinals. On a defense that lacks some play makers in the secondary, he brings stability and experience. If he is fully healthy in 2020, Peterson can be the number-one corner he has been for the majority of his career.

Last season, opposing offenses exposed the team’s defense. The Cardinals conceded the second-most passing yards (4,510), second-most passing scores (38), and the unit only scraped together seven interceptions.

At age 29, Peterson regressing a bit athletically is expected. Although, he can make up for that slight, potential regression with his football IQ and experience. If 2020 is a bounce-back year for Peterson, this team has strength at the back end of the defense.

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