Arizona Cardinals biggest need post draft remains cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson

The Arizona Cardinals knew that coming into the 2018 offseason they would not be able to fix everything.

An offense that was devastated by age and the loss of their coach and quarterback, meant that a full blown offensive rebuild was in order.

When you look at the defense, the biggest change was going to be in philosophy, as well as needing to replace their Pro Bowl slot cornerback.

It was clear coming into the offseason that the Cardinals could not fix everything, so they spent the bulk of their offseason capital fixing the offense.

That means one of the biggest needs of the offseason, cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson remains a concern, as ESPN’s group of insiders so poignantly shows:

...There just weren’t enough picks to solve all their needs; something had to slip through the cracks. Patrick Peterson remains one of the best cornerbacks in the game, but there has been an ongoing struggle to find someone to pair him with. Justin Bethel was not the answer last season; he was replaced in Week 7 by Tramon Williams and wasn’t really seen again. Both are gone, so it’s back to square one. The top two options -- Bene Benwikere and Brandon Williams -- combined for 11 defensive snaps last season. Then there’s Marcus Williams, who bounced between the Jets and Texans last season, and sixth-round pick Chris Campbell. There isn’t a high-quality starter here, so it will remain the largest hole on an otherwise solid defense.

This is all a fair and accurate critique of the roster and the cornerback position.

However, I do not think it takes into account the outstanding coaching staff the Cardinals have in place. The Cardinals staff has a history of coaching up and getting more out of their defensive backs, as well as bringing along young, or unrefined cornerbacks.

As assembled, the group does not inspire confidence opposite Patrick Peterson.

Let’s see what the team has as we get a little closer to the season though.