Top 5 WR's Cardinals Need to Draft

You would think a wide receiver corps headlined by Marvin Harrison Jr and Michael Wilson would be a terrific room. That’s certainly true at the top, but there’s minimal depth behind them currently for the Arizona Cardinals — and that has to change.

Arizona needs depth of the position as a whole, but there’s two needs that need to be filled: Someone to play in the slot and someone to stretch the field.

The 2025 NFL Draft possesses several interesting receiver, prospects for the Cardinals to look at. Many perceive class to be top-heavy, and that certainly true with no more than three “elite“ prospects. But for me, and many others, this is a deep class when it comes to role players and value selections.

That category is where the Cardinals would capitalize the most.

I have five receivers in mind who I believe fit Arizona with varying levels of investment needed to secure them. It’d be difficult to sell me on a first-round investment, but there is one guy I’d be on board with. Otherwise, I like the day two/three targets quite a bit; They fill out the majority of this list.

We can go ahead and get the first- round pick out of the way, who just so happens to be one of my favorite prospects in the entire class.

5. Matthew Golden, Texas

This man is probably my favorite receiver in the entire draft. Golden is someone who needs far more love than he’s getting as Mr. Do-It-All.

Golden went into his lone season with Texas as no better than WR2 on the initial depth chart and end of the year as the undisputed top dog. He came up huge in the team’s playoff run and displayed a complete skill set as one of the most well-rounded prospects in the class.

For good measure, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at this year’s scouting combine. Overkill.

His fit with the Cardinals would be… Interesting. Golden does have experience playing the slot, but he does more damage outside. He also made big plays down the field as a deep threat, and clearly has the speed to continue doing so at the next level.

So, with all that in mind, why am I not totally convinced? Because he would require a round one investment.

I need the Cardinals to invest in their defense before any other spot, and that includes wide receiver in round one. I’d love the pick as a Golden fan and someone who covers the Cardinals, but in the bigger picture i’m not sure if I could get on board with a massive investment he would require to grab him.

4. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Egbuka is another player. I think Arizona would have to spend the first-round pick on. But unlike Golden, that’s not a consensus so perhaps the team could find him early day two. So a slight trade up to grab him is reasonable.

If that’s the case, then you could sell me a little bit more, but I still can’t get there if it means spending a first-round pick…

That said, I’m a huge Egbuka fan. What he’s able to do after the catch blows me away. The former Buckeye is simply one of those players I want to give the ball to and allow him to make plays after that.

We’ve also seen him make plays at and behind the line of scrimmage to further prove that.

Egbuka is also a player whose preferred spot in the pros is likely in the slot; That role is an overlooked need for the team.

Adding Egbuka to this offense sounds like a ton of fun and even more so reuniting him with Harrison. Grabbing him likely means spending high-capital, however, and that’s where I have a hard time getting on board.

3. Tory Horton, Colorado State

This was a toss-up for me between Horton and Tai Felton, but I’m giving the edge to the guy I think fits Arizona’s biggest need out the gate.

Horton wasn’t healthy last season, which Is likely what contributed to his fall down the board. But his 2023 season was terrific, hauling in 96 receptions for over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. He posted over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, as well.

The Colorado State product previously shown off his ability to be a downfield threat — More so than all but one player in my top five (More on him to come). Not only that, but Horton has slot experience. With the limited snaps, he had last year, roughly a third of them came from inside.

The marriage of these skills is what excites me the most about him as a pro. It’s also what sells me on him being selected by the Cardinals.

Add in his value as a guy viewed as a day three target and I’m all in.

2. Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

I’m not going to lie, Higgins to the Cardinals is one of my favorite receiver/team fits in this class. He’s also a guy I wouldn’t mind taking a little bit earlier on day two if need be.

Higgins was wildly productive the last two seasons with the Cyclones with over 2,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in that frame. Iowa State has had several great offensive players in the Matt Campbell era, and Higgins is amongst that elite group.

One of his best attributes is his reliability with just two drops last season. Having those kind of receivers that you know you can trust in a crunch are beyond valuable. Adding one more of those guys to a room with reliable pass catchers should build even more confidence in an improved passing game.

To be clear, Higgins is not a legitimate deep threat, which, of course, is my top priority for the room. But he still capable of being a downfield option, even if he’s not the prototype to do such. I certainly like him better than what’s currently on the team.

Like I said, I’m good with taking Higgins a little bit earlier if need be. His reliability/consistency sells me entirely on him.

1. Tre Harris, Ole Miss

You won’t find me sleeping on Harris, who is one of my three favorite wide receivers in this draft class. Seeing him projected as a mid-to-late day two prospect is mind-boggling to me… But it just means that someone is going to get a chance for one of the biggest deals in the draft.

The Ole Miss superstar receiver would have won the Biletnikoff Award last season if he didn’t miss time due to injury. Few if any receivers were playing up to his level last season; Certainly not when it came to on-field production.

What fascinates me about Harris is he’s not some blazing fast, straight line runner, but he stretches the field as well as anyone in the class. Sounds exactly like what the Cards need.

The 6’3 receiver tracks the ball well and is no stranger to big plays and touchdowns. The Cardinals don’t have enough of that on this offense right now.

Tossing Harris in to a core featuring MHJ and Wilson is what helps round out the room. Your top three players now have great size, a big catch radius and the addition of a deep threat with Harris.