Picking Cardinals' Top Offensive, Defensive Player of September

Who have been the best players on both sides of the ball for the Arizona Cardinals?

The NFL announced awards for September's AFC/NFC Players and Rookies of the Month earlier this morning.

AFC

Offense- Tua Tagovailoa
Defense- T.J. Watt
Special Teams- Tyler Bass

NFC

Offense- Christian McCaffrey
Defense- Micah Parsons
Special Teams- Jake Camarda

Rookies of the Month

C.J. Stroud and Christian Gonzalez

The Arizona Cardinals didn't see any of their own crack the list after a 1-2 start to the season, though the team has undoubtedly fought hard and has looked far better than some anticipated. 

Here's our picks for the team's best offensive/defensive player and rookie for September:

Offensive Player of the Month: James Conner

James Conner has been a massive bright spot for the Arizona Cardinals thus far. 

It's hard to find a more impactful player than James Conner thus far.

The Cardinals were insistent they were going to establish the run heading into 2023, and they've stayed true to the word and philosophy of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

Arizona has placed massive expectations on Conner to shoulder the load in a backfield that doesn't offer much else behind him, and he's responded well. Conner (5.2 YPC) is currently fourth in the NFL with 266 rushing yards after three weeks of play. 

Conner has also been pivotal in moving the chains, as only Tony Pollard (16), Brian Robinson (16), D'Andre Swift (16) and Christian McCaffrey (15) have picked up more first downs on the ground than Conner (14). 

Conner has looked every bit as explosive and reliable as fans could have hoped for, and his performance on a weekly basis has been a major reason why Arizona has remained in each game they've played in. 

Honorable mention: Zach Ertz

Defensive Player of the Month: Kyzir White

Arizona Cardinals LB Kyzir White rocks the green dot on the defensive side of the ball in the desert and has arguably been the team's best player 

There's a handful of names that belong here, but none have steadied the ship such as Kyzir White.

White knows the Jonathan Gannon/Nick Rallis defense better than anybody thanks to his previous experience with them in Philadelphia. That familiarity has led to White not only starting in the desert, but also being selected as a team captain and donning the green dot to relay defensive calls on each and every snap.

That's a large responsibility, though White has thrived in the middle of the chaos with a team-leading 30 tackles. His 18 solo tackles would still be good enough for fourth on that list while White is just one of two players on the defense to register both a sack and interception, joining Zaven Collins. 

With Budda Baker absent on the field, there's a gap of talent and leadership missing. Though it's a tall order to ask anybody to fulfill those roles, White has risen to the occasion and is playing some of the best football for anybody wearing a Cardinals helmet. 

Honorable mention: Dennis Gardeck

Rookie of the Month: Paris Johnson Jr.

No. 6 overall pick Paris Johnson Jr. already looks like the tackle of the future for the Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have seen a handful of their 2023 rookie class already contributing, and the team has yet to see third-round pick Garrett Williams see action while he continues to recover from a prior injury. That's exciting to see return on investment already. 

Michael Wilson has taken advantage of his opportunities and hopefully sees more as time marches forward. Kei'trel Clark cemented himself as a weekly starter and Dante Stills has received positive feedback after injuries have opened the door for his presence on the defensive line. 

However, No. 6 overall pick Paris Johnson has lived up to every bit of the hype that surrounded him coming out of Ohio State. 

Johnson took over Kelvin Beachum's starting spot at right tackle and hasn't looked back, earning praise of teammates and coaches alike for his mentality and professional approach even as a rookie.

Outstanding job by Paris Johnson timing the snap and using his backside hand to create lateral displacement to open up the cutback lane. pic.twitter.com/gW0X6iuLxW

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) September 25, 2023

It's been awhile since Arizona has drafted a franchise player along the offensive line - but the Cardinals have seemingly struck gold with Johnson in the mix, who has already improved their trenches on offense.