Dec 3, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) celebrates a touchdown with running back James Conner (6) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Where do the Arizona Cardinals' QB-RB-WR/TE Stack Rank Amongst the Rest of the NFL?

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the top picks to make the playoffs in 2025 after failing to do so last season.

In fact, the Cardinals haven't made the playoffs since quarterback Kyler Murray's third season in the league.

The Cards bolstered their defense this offseason, particularly on the defensive line, to try and help out the offense this season.

The offense has been okay, but it hasn't quite been what the Cardinals have expected or needed up to this point. It's not the deepest unit in the league, but they possess an above-average line with others around them to have success.

While the success may start up front for the offense, it is up to the playmakers to make plays, and that begins with the trio of Murray, running back James Conner, and tight end Trey McBride.

Triple Stack in Glendale

In a recent panel of voters at CBS Sports, the Cardinals aforementioned offensive trio was ranked amongst the rest of the NFL. Unfortunately, the folks over at CBS Sports don't think that highly of them as they have them in the "just below average" tier ranked 17th overall.

"There was a wider range of opinions on the Cardinals than I expected there to be -- especially for a team checking in 17th on our list after coming in 16th last year. I'd imagine that some of the disparity comes from the relatively disappointing season they got out of Marvin Harrison Jr., who was supposed to do right away what guys like Nabers and Thomas Jr. did," wrote Jared Dubin. "But he fell behind McBride in the pecking order and wasn't that efficient, so it seems like people view Arizona as in a holding pattern unless and until he takes over and/or we find out more about what he can be."

It is hard to imagine Harrison Jr. not a part of the trio, considering what lies ahead of him. He had a decent season in his rookie campaign, but as mentioned by Dubin, he didn't quite live up to the billing as his draft counterparts.

Murray, Conner, and McBride were the obvious leaders on offense a season ago. The ranking they were given is probably on par with where they should be after last season, but things should look up here for not only them, but also their entire offense as a whole.

Murray has the chance to have an MVP-caliber season. Conner is one of the league's workhorse backs, and even if he concedes some of his snaps to Trey Benson, who is expected to have a bigger role in year two, he will still likely have a large impact on the outcome of the game. McBride was one of the best tight ends in 2024, and should be able to replicate that here in 2025, since the wideout room is a bit thin, and the hopeful addition of a few more endzone catches.

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This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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