Cardinals Roster Tiers, Part 4: Steady Starters

Players in this tier: Isaac Seumalo, Jacoby Brissett, Tyler Allgeier, Hjalte Froholdt, Roy Lopez, Garrett Williams, Michael Wilson, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Blake Gillikin, Chad Ryland, Kasey Kreiter

We had to show love to the special teams guys on this list, and while Kreiter is a new name, Ryland and Gillikin have both shined in recent years. Ryland was a bit more inconsistent in 2025 while Gillikin was hurt for most of the regular season. Still, Gillikin is one of the best in the business when healthy while Ryland has shown to be a reliable kicker.

Seumalo and Allgeier are newcomers to Arizona's offense, though both should be vital in getting the Cardinals' rushing attack back on track after it was derailed in 2025. Seumalo is a plug-and-play guy at left guard while Allgeier will likely share top duties with Jeremiyah Love, who has yet to make an appearance on our tiered list.

Brissett is the most controversial call here, and quite frankly I do understand why most are not fans of him. The contract situation has cast a dark cloud over his standing as QB1 entering camp, though Brissett is not a bad quarterback by any stretch. Is he good enough to will the Cardinals to games? Not quite, though he doesn't turn the ball over and has a good rapport with playmakers in Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. That earns a passing grade in Mike LaFleur's first-year offense.

Froholdt has been a steady and perhaps even underrated presence in Arizona since arriving just a few years ago while Wilson burst on the scene with his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign.

Arizona's secondary is better when Taylor-Demerson and Williams are both in the picture. Williams simply needs to stay healthy entering a contract year but has proved he's capable of being one of the best slot corners in football. Meanwhile, Taylor-Demerson is set to fill starting duties of the departing Jalen Thompson with anticipation of becoming an even better football player opposite of Budda Baker.

Finally, Lopez arrives back to the desert after a one-year stint in Detroit. The Cardinals missed him both on and off the field. He won't be a Pro Bowl player or a national household name, though his presence will raise the floor of Arizona's defensive line.

Come back tomorrow for the third tier: players who can swing the Cardinals' season.