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Arizona Cardinals All-Time Roster by Decade

NFL Dynasty rates 105 Cardinals players across 6 decades of football (1970s–2020s). The highest-rated is Larry Fitzgerald (WR, 92 overall), whose peak season with the team came in 2008: 1,434 rec yds, 12 TD, 96 rec. The best Cardinals defense in the game belongs to the 2010s: 18.7 points allowed per game (#5 in NFL) in 2014.

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The strongest Cardinals lineup: 2000s

Drafting the top-rated player at every position from the 2000s Cardinals board gives a team rating of 76.6 — good for an expected 7-10 season in the game, just short of the 88 team rating needed for a shot at 17-0. Against the 16-0 2007 Patriots in Boss mode, that five would win about 1.0% of the time. The thinnest Cardinals board is the 1990s (71.7).

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Kurt Warner	2008	4,582 pass yds, 30 TD, 14 INT	83
RB	Edgerrin James	2007	1,232 rush yds, 7 TD, 25 rec	71
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	2008	1,434 rec yds, 12 TD, 96 rec	92
TE	Freddie Jones	2003	517 rec yds, 3 TD, 55 rec	68
DEF	Cardinals Defense	2004	20.1 points allowed per game (#12 in NFL)	65

Best Cardinals player at every position

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Kurt Warner	2008	4,582 pass yds, 30 TD, 14 INT	83
RB	David Johnson	2016	1,239 rush yds, 16 TD, 80 rec	85
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	2008	1,434 rec yds, 12 TD, 96 rec	92
TE	Trey McBride	2024	1,146 rec yds, 2 TD, 111 rec	82
DEF	Cardinals Defense	2014	18.7 points allowed per game (#5 in NFL)	73

Cardinals boards, decade by decade

The top three players at each offensive position plus the best defense of each decade — what you can draft when the wheel lands on the Cardinals. Ratings run 56–99 and are era-adjusted (how ratings work).

1970s Cardinals

Best possible lineup: team rating 75.2 · expected 6-11 · 13 players on the board

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Jim Hart	1976	2,946 pass yds, 18 TD, 13 INT	79
RB	Ottis Anderson	1979	1,605 rush yds, 8 TD, 41 rec	83
RB	MacArthur Lane	1970	977 rush yds, 11 TD, 32 rec	76
RB	Donny Anderson	1973	679 rush yds, 10 TD, 41 rec	75
WR	Ike Harris	1976	782 rec yds, 1 TD, 52 rec	70
WR	Walker Gillette	1972	550 rec yds, 2 TD, 33 rec	67
WR	John Gilliam	1970	952 rec yds, 5 TD, 45 rec	66
TE	Earl Thomas	1974	513 rec yds, 5 TD, 34 rec	73
TE	J.V. Cain	1977	328 rec yds, 2 TD, 25 rec	62
DEF	Cardinals Defense	1970	16.3 points allowed per game (#5 in NFL)	70

1980s Cardinals

Not every position is covered on this board. · 7 players on the board

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
RB	Ottis Anderson	1981	1,376 rush yds, 9 TD, 51 rec	83
RB	Earl Ferrell	1988	924 rush yds, 7 TD, 38 rec	69
WR	Roy Green	1984	1,555 rec yds, 12 TD, 78 rec	91
WR	Pat Tilley	1980	966 rec yds, 6 TD, 68 rec	72
TE	Jay Novacek	1988	569 rec yds, 4 TD, 38 rec	71
TE	Doug Marsh	1984	608 rec yds, 5 TD, 39 rec	61
DEF	Cardinals Defense	1982	18.9 points allowed per game (#12 in NFL)	64

1990s Cardinals

Best possible lineup: team rating 71.7 · expected 4-13 · 11 players on the board

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Chris Chandler	1992	2,832 pass yds, 15 TD, 15 INT	74
QB	Boomer Esiason	1996	2,293 pass yds, 11 TD, 14 INT	70
QB	Jay Schroeder	1994	1,510 pass yds, 4 TD, 7 INT	64
RB	Larry Centers	1996	425 rush yds, 2 TD, 99 rec	70
RB	Johnny Johnson	1990	926 rush yds, 5 TD, 25 rec	66
RB	LeShon Johnson	1996	634 rush yds, 3 TD, 15 rec	66
WR	Frank Sanders	1998	1,145 rec yds, 3 TD, 89 rec	74
WR	Anthony Edwards	1996	311 rec yds, 1 TD, 29 rec	58
TE	Pat Carter	1996	329 rec yds, 1 TD, 26 rec	65
DEF	Cardinals Defense	1994	16.7 points allowed per game (#4 in NFL)	72

2000s Cardinals

Best possible lineup: team rating 76.6 · expected 7-10 · 26 players on the board

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Kurt Warner	2008	4,582 pass yds, 30 TD, 14 INT	83
QB	Jake Plummer	2001	3,653 pass yds, 18 TD, 14 INT	71
QB	Matt Leinart	2006	2,542 pass yds, 11 TD, 12 INT	70
RB	Edgerrin James	2007	1,232 rush yds, 7 TD, 25 rec	71
RB	Emmitt Smith	2004	937 rush yds, 9 TD, 15 rec	71
RB	Michael Pittman	2001	846 rush yds, 5 TD, 42 rec	69
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	2008	1,434 rec yds, 12 TD, 96 rec	92
WR	Anquan Boldin	2003	1,377 rec yds, 8 TD, 101 rec	86
WR	David Boston	2001	1,598 rec yds, 8 TD, 98 rec	81
TE	Freddie Jones	2003	517 rec yds, 3 TD, 55 rec	68
TE	Tywan Mitchell	2001	196 rec yds, 2 TD, 25 rec	64
TE	Adam Bergen	2005	270 rec yds, 1 TD, 28 rec	63
DEF	Cardinals Defense	2004	20.1 points allowed per game (#12 in NFL)	65

2010s Cardinals

Best possible lineup: team rating 75.7 · expected 6-11 · 31 players on the board

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Carson Palmer	2015	4,671 pass yds, 35 TD, 11 INT	81
QB	Derek Anderson	2010	2,065 pass yds, 7 TD, 10 INT	63
QB	Josh Rosen	2018	2,278 pass yds, 11 TD, 14 INT	62
RB	David Johnson	2016	1,239 rush yds, 16 TD, 80 rec	85
RB	Chris Johnson	2015	814 rush yds, 3 TD, 6 rec	69
RB	Rashard Mendenhall	2013	687 rush yds, 8 TD, 18 rec	69
WR	Michael Floyd	2013	1,041 rec yds, 5 TD, 65 rec	71
WR	John Brown	2015	1,003 rec yds, 7 TD, 65 rec	69
WR	Jaron Brown	2017	477 rec yds, 4 TD, 31 rec	67
TE	John Carlson	2014	350 rec yds, 1 TD, 33 rec	63
TE	Ricky Seals-Jones	2018	343 rec yds, 1 TD, 34 rec	63
TE	Jeff King	2011	271 rec yds, 3 TD, 27 rec	62
DEF	Cardinals Defense	2014	18.7 points allowed per game (#5 in NFL)	73

2020s Cardinals

Best possible lineup: team rating 75.7 · expected 6-11 · 17 players on the board

Pos	Player	Season	Peak season	Rating
QB	Kyler Murray	2020	3,971 pass yds, 26 TD, 12 INT, 819 rush yds	80
QB	Joshua Dobbs	2023	1,569 pass yds, 8 TD, 5 INT	65
RB	James Conner	2021	752 rush yds, 15 TD, 37 rec	75
RB	Kenyan Drake	2020	955 rush yds, 10 TD, 25 rec	68
RB	Chase Edmonds	2021	592 rush yds, 2 TD, 43 rec	67
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	2020	1,407 rec yds, 6 TD, 115 rec	77
WR	Marvin Harrison	2024	885 rec yds, 8 TD, 62 rec	74
WR	A.J. Green	2021	848 rec yds, 3 TD, 54 rec	69
TE	Trey McBride	2024	1,146 rec yds, 2 TD, 111 rec	82
TE	Dan Arnold	2020	438 rec yds, 4 TD, 31 rec	68
TE	Zach Ertz	2022	406 rec yds, 4 TD, 47 rec	65
DEF	Cardinals Defense	2020	22.9 points allowed per game (#12 in NFL)	66

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