Which Cardinals Raised Their Stock in Final Preseason Game?

The Cardinals dropped another sloppy preseason contest, but some players made a final case to be contributors in 2024.

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Xavier Weaver (30) against the New Orleans Saints during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA--The Arizona Cardinals lost an extremely lackluster game to the Denver Broncos, dropping their preseason finale by a score of 38-12.

Without any action for Arizona's starters, the Cardinals played an ugly game on both sides of the ball. They finish their 2024 preseason winless, but the contest was anything but a waste.

Here are four Cardinals who raised their stock, and made a final push to make the 2024 roster or secure a larger role.

WR Xavier Weaver

The speedy Xavier Weaver has been a spark plug on this second-unit offense throughout the preseason. The undrafted rookie out of Colorado showed out with excellent speed, agility and route running, and has fought hard to put himself in the best spot to make the roster.

Despite only catching two passes, Weaver led the Cardinals in receiving yards, and, with a couple of better-thrown passes, could have easily had more. He demonstrated good separation and quick breaks, and his acceleration allowed him to get a step ahead of the defense on multiple occasions.

Most notably, Weaver made an excellent cut in single coverage midway through the second quarter. As QB Clayton Tune rolled to his right, Weaver beat his man and laid out to haul in a beautiful 43-yard pass - the longest play of the game for Arizona.

Xavier Weaver wants a roster spot. pic.twitter.com/1FlVmFbk9q

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) August 25, 2024

He also picked up 16 return yards and demonstrated good, patient open-field vision on a pair of kicks. His scrappiness, speed and utility, coupled with the recent suspension of veteran WR Zay Jones opens a potential spot for Weaver on the active roster, and he certainly strengthened his case on Sunday.

LB Cameron Thomas

Both the interior and the edge of the defensive line have been anything but stellar, and with injuries to both BJ Ojulari and Darius Robinson, the Cardinals could be set up for another weak output from their front seven.

With that said, the Cardinals did manage to get a decent amount of pressure - mainly on Broncos QB Zach Wilson. A big part of that pressure came from third-year LB Cameron Thomas.

Thomas lived in the Broncos' backfield, as he's been doing at a high rate thus far in the preseason. Finishing with the sack has been elusive, but he's winning reps consistently and disrupting the QB's rhythm each week.

On Sunday, he picked up three tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, two QB hits and a sack. Midway through the third quarter, Thomas flew at Wilson unblocked, nearly picked up the sack and forced a throw-away. Two plays later, he beat his man badly off the snap, wrapped up Wilson for a six-yard loss and forced the Broncos to punt.

With a next-man-up mentality, the young LB could be finding his way to becoming an every-week contributor, though mainly on pass rush downs. Either way, he's picked up three sacks in his last two preseason games, and raised his stock ahead of the regular season.

DB Darren Hall

Hall has been a surprising member of this Cardinals secondary. While the defensive backs unit was lackluster at best in thwarting Wilson and the Broncos' air attack today, Hall was once again a pest, picking up another astounding eight tackles (four solo).

He might not be racking up PBU's or interceptions, but he's been finding ways to be in the right place at the right time.

Hall's recorded 17 total tackles over three preseason games (11 solo). He's led the entire defense in that category in both Sunday's contest and in last week's loss to the Colts, and was tied for second in total tackles in week one.

He might not be a member of Arizona's primary coverage units, but he's shown an exceptional ability to close in on open-field tackles and wrap up, no matter how far from the ball carrier he is to begin the play.

If these games are any indication of his potential, Hall looks to have a home in Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis' rotational defense in 2024.

OLB Jesse Luketa

It's been an odd journey for the third-year outside linebacker. With some positional oddities, including a stint at fullback, Luketa hasn't been thought of as a major contributor defensively.

He's had a quiet career with Arizona, but he found success in Sunday's game, along with the aforementioned Cameron Thomas. Luketa, like Thomas, won reps consistently and brought plenty of pressure to the Broncos' QBs.

He picked up two solo tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack of his own on Wilson, and even swatted down a pass at the line of scrimmage. He recorded two QB hits and a handful of pressures outside of the sack alone, and was generally a disruptor in the trenches.

Luketa doesn't figure to be an every-down guy, but it is encouraging to see flashes of pressure, and an ability to bring even the smallest amount of pressure to opposing QBs. The Cardinals are down two of their primary pass rushers in an already-thin unit, so Gannon and Rallis will likely take all the potential they can get out of their D-line.