Who Starts Week 1 at Wide Receiver?

[kerouac9]

Did you know that if the season started today, the Arizona Cardinals would likely start Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson, and either Chris Moore or Zach Pascal at wideout? This is intolerable.

So it's time to get into the prediction business and guess at what our starting WR group will be in Week 1. Play fair and only select one top-10 pick, first-round pick, and/or second-day pick.

I used The Ringer's Top 70 Board for the prospects. Don't @ me.

 

[Stout]

This poll is so depressing. The leading candidates are Wilson and Dortch, which would be awful. I went with BTJ because I feel Monti wheels and deals his "smartest guy in the room" ass out of range of the top WRs and either doesn't go back up to get one of the big 3 or doesn't go back up high enough to draft one of them. I have pretty much zero faith we're adding 2 starter quality WRs to this room in this offseason, meaning Wilson or Dortch will still start. Not good.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

This poll is so depressing. The leading candidates are Wilson and Dortch, which would be awful. I went with BTJ because I feel Monti wheels and deals his "smartest guy in the room" ass out of range of the top WRs and either doesn't go back up to get one of the big 3 or doesn't go back up high enough to draft one of them. I have pretty much zero faith we're adding 2 starter quality WRs to this room in this offseason, meaning Wilson or Dortch will still start. Not good.

Hey - 2025 is right around the corner!

 

[Mulli]

The season starts in September though

 

[Stout]

The season starts in September though

To upgrade the room, barring something spectacular, we're looking at the draft to upgrade the starters. What FA WR will be a #2? Without a big trade, what WR will we trade for to be #2? To specify, by #2 I mean an actual good #2, not a body just to slot in there.

 

[Mulli]

To upgrade the room, barring something spectacular, we're looking at the draft to upgrade the starters. What FA WR will be a #2? Without a big trade, what WR will we trade for to be #2? To specify, by #2 I mean an actual good #2, not a body just to slot in there.

I don’t know!

 

[Solar7]

I'm going with MHJ at X, Wilson at Y, Dortch at Z. Which is still icky, but not THAT icky, knowing McBride will be out there also as the defacto 2nd option.

For the sake of the poll I kept it to 3.

For the record, the alarm bells are sounding for me with Monti and the concept of trading down, but I'm still over 50% that we're going to stand pat and take MHJ if he's there. Honestly, with the largest caveat being that I think MHJ is the most likely because Bidwill is going to want someone who sells jerseys, haha.

 

[az jam]

I did Michael Wilson, Rome Odunze and Xavier Worthy. I think Monti will trade down but get back up to grab Odunze. I feel they will take another wr on day 2 but really don't know which one. I just threw in Worthy because of his record breaking speed and they brought him here for one of the 30 interviews which is meaningless.

 

[Solar7]

To upgrade the room, barring something spectacular, we're looking at the draft to upgrade the starters. What FA WR will be a #2? Without a big trade, what WR will we trade for to be #2? To specify, by #2 I mean an actual good #2, not a body just to slot in there.

I'm still of the opinion that Tyler Boyd would be a good choice out of the slot and be the #2 overall, at least in a pinch. He's a good player. The rest of the market without a trade or Tee Higgins getting released from the tag is pretty barren though.

 

[kerouac9]

The season starts in September though

Excellent post. Compelling and rich.

 

[gmabel830]

I went with MHJ and Wilson

 

[Gambler]

Way too soon.

 

[oaken1]

I voted Wilson, Dortch, Odunze.
But I think we also pick Brenden Rice.

May be
Odunze
Rice
Wilson

Starting two rookies sounds crazy. But for the first few weeks of the season nobody in the NFL will know what we got.

 

[keith wenzel]

Harrison, Wilson and a trade to bring someone in as #2

 

[Solar7]

@Stout I got an oof from you, but wondering why. Do you think Wilson's worth replacing one year later?

I have this feeling everyone wants to replace him immediately, but he's a guy who had nearly 600 yards in 12 starts. He's a 3rd rounder. It's not my first time asking this, but are we just looking to replace him after year one? I'm hoping it's not a replica of the Keim era, where we spend draft capital, then never let them see the field by burying them with a free agent or a top pick next year.

Not that I'm saying to avoid drafting wideouts and count on him on as #1 or anything.

 

[oaken1]

@Stout I got an oof from you, but wondering why. Do you think Wilson's worth replacing one year later?

I have this feeling everyone wants to replace him immediately, but he's a guy who had nearly 600 yards in 12 starts. He's a 3rd rounder. It's not my first time asking this, but are we just looking to replace him after year one? I'm hoping it's not a replica of the Keim era, where we spend draft capital, then never let them see the field by burying them with a free agent or a top pick next year.

Not that I'm saying to avoid drafting wideouts and count on him on as #1 or anything.

My only concern with Wilson is durability and we won't know for a couple years. Folks hated on Rondale but he ended up playing every game in his third season.

However. I would absolutely double dip on a couple wide receivers. Competition is good for everyone...so is insurance.
If three years from now we have Wilson, Odunze,and Rice starting for us that's a huge win .
However if any one of the three fail for any reason...we still have an effective offense with just two and Greg Dortch

 

[gimpy]

@Stout I got an oof from you, but wondering why. Do you think Wilson's worth replacing one year later?

I have this feeling everyone wants to replace him immediately, but he's a guy who had nearly 600 yards in 12 starts. He's a 3rd rounder. It's not my first time asking this, but are we just looking to replace him after year one? I'm hoping it's not a replica of the Keim era, where we spend draft capital, then never let them see the field by burying them with a free agent or a top pick next year.

Not that I'm saying to avoid drafting wideouts and count on him on as #1 or anything.

You're wondering why Stout "oofed" you? Where have you been?





And, don't take it personally.

 

[DVontel]

@Stout I got an oof from you, but wondering why. Do you think Wilson's worth replacing one year later?

I have this feeling everyone wants to replace him immediately, but he's a guy who had nearly 600 yards in 12 starts. He's a 3rd rounder. It's not my first time asking this, but are we just looking to replace him after year one? I'm hoping it's not a replica of the Keim era, where we spend draft capital, then never let them see the field by burying them with a free agent or a top pick next year.

Not that I'm saying to avoid drafting wideouts and count on him on as #1 or anything.

Yea, I don’t get it either.

McBride-MHJ-Wilson-Dortch is a solid group, though I’m confident they’ll draft another WR on Day 2 to insert there.

 

[Solar7]

My only concern with Wilson is durability and we won't know for a couple years. Folks hated on Rondale but he ended up playing every game in his third season.

However. I would absolutely double dip on a couple wide receivers. Competition is good for everyone...so is insurance.
If three years from now we have Wilson, Odunze,and Rice starting for us that's a huge win .
However if any one of the three fail for any reason...we still have an effective offense with just two and Greg Dortch

Rondale ended up not being very good while also not being durable, which was a challenge. But I'm totally with you on the Wilson durability problem too... I have no problem with adding someone else in the draft when we have a wealth of assets, especially if we stand pat with our picks. But I don't want to draft too early to immediately replace last year's pick.

Are you referring to Brenden Rice when you say that? Just making sure... because I have no problem grabbing him in the 3rd or 4th.

I'd just say we don't need to go hand the Bengals our 2nd and a big contract to get Higgins to be our #1.

 

[Solar7]

You're wondering why Stout "oofed" you? Where have you been?





And, don't take it personally.

Honestly, he and I have been on the same page for about the past 5 years. I'm not thrilled with where things have been going, but a little more positive about where we can go IF we get some Big Johns.

 

[Solar7]

Yea, I don’t get it either.

McBride-MHJ-Wilson-Dortch is a solid group, though I’m confident they’ll draft another WR on Day 2 to insert there.

100%. Dortch can function in this offense, but this class is so deep that one of our late picks could hit.

Polk, Corley, or Walker could fall to us later with the depth in the class, and that's just off the top of my head. Competition makes sense.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

One of Mitchell or Coleman is going round 1. Maybe both

 

[Stout]

Harrison, Wilson and a trade to bring someone in as #2

Who, and for what? A legit #2, or just a body or a guy we hope is a #2?

 

[Stout]

@Stout I got an oof from you, but wondering why. Do you think Wilson's worth replacing one year later?

I have this feeling everyone wants to replace him immediately, but he's a guy who had nearly 600 yards in 12 starts. He's a 3rd rounder. It's not my first time asking this, but are we just looking to replace him after year one? I'm hoping it's not a replica of the Keim era, where we spend draft capital, then never let them see the field by burying them with a free agent or a top pick next year.

Not that I'm saying to avoid drafting wideouts and count on him on as #1 or anything.

I don't want to replace him but counting on him to be a #2 would be a huuuge mistake if we want the Cards competing. Maybe he's up for it, or maybe he's not ready for that yet. Get one of the top 2 as well as a legit #2 and let Wilson be a little down the depth chart.

Also, it's oof to have Dortch starting. I like him as a depth guy but absolutely not starting.

 

[Stout]

Yea, I don’t get it either.

McBride-MHJ-Wilson-Dortch is a solid group, though I’m confident they’ll draft another WR on Day 2 to insert there.

Any group with Dortch starting is not in the least a "solid" group. That's a WR room that needs at least another starter. Wilson may be a decent starter or he may not be. A third option is he may not be ready to be a starter. Starting both Wilson and Dortch would be a monumental mistake, McBride notwithstanding.