2020 Cardinals player grades: Offensive tackle
The Arizona Cardinals went through many ups and downs last season, and at their peak looked like one of the most formidable teams in the league. To get to where they were this season just two years removed from having the worst record in the NFL, they had to go through a lot of roster turnover.
In the fifth part of this series, we will be looking back at each offensive tackle who recorded a snap for Arizona this season and grade their performance.
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2020 grade: A Humphries was given a three-year, $45 million contract extension last offseason, but some still questioned if he had the consistency to be labeled as one of the games best. But Humphries proved those doubters wrong this season, recording 1129 offensive snaps (first among tackles) while allowing only three sacks. He was given the 31st best season grade in the league by PFF, who wrote this about his performance:
This season marked a true breakout season for former first-round pick D.J. Humphries. After an underwhelming first month of play, Humphries was a rock over the final three-quarters of the season, surrendering just 12 total pressures in his final 12 games. Humphries allowed only one sack over that time and recorded an overall PFF grade above 90.0 while protecting for a quarterback who tends to hold the ball and make life difficult for his offensive linemen. Humphries was one of the best tackles in the game this season, particularly after the first month.
The only negative part of Humphries game this season was penalties. He had seven on the year, including six false starts. This was a pretty consistent problem for the entire offensive line, and I expect the 27-year-old to be able to rebound from this minor negative in his game.
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2020 grade: A+ Beachum was brought in as a free agent last offseason with fairly low expectations from the public. He worked as the starting right tackle from the beginning of camp and surpassed all expectations placed on him. Not only did he have the highest run block win rate for any tackle in the league in 2020 (81%), he also was ranked the No. 10 tackle in pass block win rate, based on stats from ESPN/NFL’s Next-Gen stats. He went above and beyond what was expected of him, which is why he was given the first “A+” grade of the series. Beachum is now a free agent and may want to take his talents elsewhere for more money, since the Cardinals will likely not pay a premium for an offensive tackle, where they have so much depth.
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2020 grade: B The swing tackle/guard was also extended in 2020, inking a two-year contract worth up to $9 million with incentives. Murray ended up being a full-time starter by the end of the season at right guard in relief of a struggling J.R. Sweezy, but during the time he spent at tackle he played solid. He never allowed a sack and only had one penalty called on him all season.
Josh Jones
2020 grade: C The 2020 3rd round pick was told he wouldn’t be in the mix for a starting job from the day he was drafted to the team, although Jones did end up playing 55 offensive snaps, primarily in heavy sets as a third tight end. He will likely be in the mix for a starting role across from D.J. Humphries next season, and will look to expound on the opportunities he is given. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.Latest show:
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