Byron Murphy Jr. – CB
At just 23-years-old, Byron Murphy Jr. is on his way to becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Murphy improved last year after a strong rookie campaign in 2019. This season, he already has a career-high three interceptions, eight pass deflections and a touchdown.
With P.J. Walker at the helm for the Carolina Panthers, Murphy and the rest of the Arizona Cardinals secondary will be looking to feast.
Murphy is well on his way to being a shutdown cornerback in this league for a long time. After forcing a fumble against the San Francisco 49ers last week, this inept Carolina offense provides another big game opportunity for the third-year player out of Washington.
It’s uncertain how Walker will perform and whether he will be any better than Sam Darnold, who was awful. But the former XFL MVP candidate has to make sure he doesn’t give any spark to Murphy.
If he struggles early on, the calls to install Cam Newton will be deafening should the Panthers activate the returning hero. Although this would be a big risk considering Arizona’s formidable defense and the lack of preparation time.