Arizona Cardinals' Unsung Stud Revealed

Sometimes, if you're not hearing your name, it means you're doing something right.

Arizona Cardinals TE Tip Reiman is not a player who's often named (at a national level, at least), but he may just be a key piece of Arizona's offense going forward.

The Cardinals drafted Reiman in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, as a blocking TE.

Fans were understandably a bit confused by this move, considering the emergence of Trey McBride as a bonafide star and a solid backup in Elijah Higgins. There wasn't much need for another receiving threat at that position.

But offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has been known to frequently roll out as many TEs as possible, and Reiman's ability to maul blockers in the run game has caught the eye of one national outlet.

Arizona Cardinals' Unsung Stud Revealed

USA Today's Christian D'Andrea put together an extensive list of each NFL team's "unsung stud." D'Andrea landed on Reiman for Arizona's representation, and spoke lovingly of the former third-rounder.

"Look, I'd love to make this about rookie cornerback Will Johnson, who slipped to the second round and could have an immediate impact on the league's 24th ranked passing defense. But Reiman deserves a second look, because that's what you do when you see a 6-foot-4, 273-pound freight train with 4.6-second 40 speed getting upfield to maul a linebacker ahead of James Conner," D'Andrea wrote.

"Reiman played just 41 percent of the team's snaps as a rookie and had only six catches (on seven targets!) behind Trey McBride.

"That's fine! That's not his game! Reiman is out there to clear space for a run game with questions to be answered (will Conner hold up in his age 30 season? Is Trey Benson ready for a bigger role?) and maybe lamprey a few touchdowns off McBride's plate to frustrate fantasy managers.

"He thrives on contact and, after getting his sea legs as a rookie last season, is ready to steam ahead. 2025 could be the season he establishes his bonafides as a guy who makes his offense better despite rarely touching the ball."

Regardless of Reiman's draft position, or the perceived (lack of) need, the fact is the 23-year-old was given one of the highest athleticism ratings of any TE in the 2024 class.

Considering the downhill, power-style offense Arizona runs, having what is essentially a mobile, athletic offensive lineman to pave the way for James Conner and Trey Benson might be more valuable than one might think.

He may not be a focal point, but it's hard to imagine defenders reveling at the thought of going toe-to-toe with a charging Tip Reiman.

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