Cardinals CB Among NFL's Most Underrated Players

The Arizona Cardinals have a lot of hidden gems on their roster looking to make an impact in the upcoming season.

A lot of these players may not be household names, but they have a chance to have a big impact on the team in the upcoming season.

Pro Football Focus writer Jonathon Macri named the most underrated player on all 32 teams, and Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams was a part of the list.

"Williams operated as the Cardinals' primary slot cornerback in 2024, delivering the second-best PFF coverage grade (83.7) among qualifying cornerbacks in the regular season. He is set to once again man the slot in 2025 after allowing just a 25.9% first-down-plus-touchdown rate in coverage there this past season — tied for the seventh-best mark among 114 qualifying slot cornerbacks," Macri wrote.

"Williams also let up just 0.67 yards per coverage snap while working out of the slot, which was a top-five mark."

With Max Melton and second-round pick Will Johnson expected to be the starting cornerbacks on the outside, the Cardinals need a player in the slot who can help defend the speedy receivers in the middle.

Williams quietly was able to do that for the Cardinals last season, and he hopes to continue that trend in 2025.

Williams, who turns 24 in June, was a third-round pick by the Cardinals out of Syracuse in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played in just nine games during his rookie season, making only six starts while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in college.

Last season, he was fully healthy throughout most of the year, missing just one game in Week 5. Out of the 16 games he played, Williams started 11 and emerged as a reliable player for the secondary.

If he can continue that trajectory this season, he could help the Cardinals make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.