Stock Watch: Which Arizona Cardinals Have Risen, Fallen After Preseason?

The biggest riser of the preseason might be Simi Fehoko, as his spot on the 53-man roster was seriously in question before the three exhibition games, but his performances may have sealed his spot in the wide receiver room.

Fehoko was acquired on a one-year deal back in March following stints with the Cowboys and Chargers, although he never saw any real opportunity there. Despite this, the Cardinals gave Fehoko a great opportunity these past few weeks.

He didn’t register any stats in the opener against Kansas City, but Fehoko caught a touchdown in each of the two final preseason games. Against Denver, Fehoko caught two passes for 21 yards and a TD, while against Las Vegas, his one catch was a 10-yard score.

He hasn’t quite had incredible volume, but even when he wasn’t showing up on the box score, he looked the part on almost every route. Jonathan Gannon has gone out of his way to praise what Fehoko has done, making it a great possibility we’ll see him throughout the regular season.

Fehoko wasn’t necessarily a name fans were circling before the preseason, but after two touchdown receptions, his stock has risen more than just about anybody on Arizona’s roster.

RELATED: GRADES: Cardinals Finish Preseason vs Raiders

Faller: Kitan Crawford

Similar to how Fehoko may have secured a roster spot with an impressive preseason, Kitan Crawford looked like a lock after an interception against Kansas City, but his stock has fallen a large amount since then.

In a Cardinals secondary abysmal against the Broncos, Crawford played in the majority of the game and looked overmatched. He totaled seven tackles, but this was due to the number of receptions the defense allowed in the Broncos’ air attack.

He looked improved against the Raiders, as the defense as a whole really shaped up after a poor performance in Denver, but it remains to be seen if Crawford did enough to secure a place on the 53-man roster.

The seventh-round pick in this year’s draft still has potential, but as someone the Cardinals took a chance on with a valuable draft pick, his stock has fallen since then, with the performance in Denver looking like the main reason why.

Riser: Jordan Burch

A riser on the defensive side of the ball is Jordan Burch, as Arizona’s third-round pick in the 2025 draft has looked great throughout the preseason, especially in the contest against the Raiders.

In the first quarter, Burch sacked Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell and forced him to fumble, giving Arizona the ball and completely changing the complexion of the ballgame.

It wasn’t just the play though, as Burch played well throughout the matchup with Las Vegas, totaling two solo tackles and two tackles for loss against the Raiders. His impressive showing followed up a tackle in each of the two first preseason games, but his performances went beyond the stat sheet.

He’s looked fast and physical on the edge and should make the 53-man roster, with his impressive play certainly playing a factor.

Faller: Denzel Burke

While the Cardinals’ third-round selection has impressed, Arizona’s fifth-round pick hasn’t quite lived up to expectations thus far.

The cornerback room as a whole hasn’t been great, which certainly plays a role in how he looked, but as an exciting draft pick, he didn’t appear to be as good as some believed.

The stats were there, as he totaled five tackles and one for loss against Kansas City, one tackle against Denver and four tackles versus Las Vegas, but in pass coverage he was slightly lackluster.

Burke is still projected to make the 53-man roster, but because he came into the preseason with a lot of hype, I have him as someone whose stock has fallen entering the regular season, with other corners such as Max Melton and Will Johnson looking much better when they were on the field.