Nearly a full decade has passed since the Arizona Cardinals last won a postseason game, but after nine listless seasons that have produced just one trip to the Playoffs, there’s optimism in the desert that the Cardinals are building toward a future where postseason appearances become the status quo. Among the leaders of this movement to establish a new standard within the organization is third-year tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
Paris Johnson may not be a household name — in fairness, few left tackles are — but in time, if all goes according to plan in Arizona, he may become one. In just two short years, Johnson has already earned a great deal of respect within the organization. So much so, he has a fourteen-year veteran Kelvin Beachum bestowing a title upon him typically reserved for long-tenured stars and well-established franchise cornerstones.
“The alpha in our room is Paris Johnson,” Beachum said, per Greg Moore of the Arizona Republic. For what it’s worth, Beachum has shared locker and meetings rooms with All-Pro teammates such as Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro, so a compliment such as this one carries a considerable amount of weight.
Of course, when Arizona traded up to acquire Johnson with the 6th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the hope was that he’d one day materialize into a presence who looms large, both literally and figuratively, in the Cardinals locker room.
Following a rookie season that was filled with all of the expected bumps in the road, Johnson stabilized in year two as he moved from right tackle to left tackle, leaving very little doubt that he deserves to be recognized as one of the young blue-chippers on Arizona’s roster.
Kyler Murray Feels Secure With Paris Johnson Protecting Blindside
In 2024, Johnson was ranked 12th among 140 qualified left tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed a quarterback knockdown on just one percent of his blocking snaps, which was the fifth-best mark in the NFL. He also gave up only four sacks after surrendering eight during his first season as a pro, a step in the right direction.
Since Johnson won’t need to spend the offseason adjusting to a position change, it’s reasonable to think that he should be even better in 2025 than he was last season. At the very least, that’s the expectation he’s set for himself.
“Being able to stay on the same side is huge,” Johnson said. “I’ve been able to fine-tune a lot of things, instead of turning the whole thing around flipside in my mind. I don’t have to flip anything. I’m just putting things how I need them to be consistently.”
Providing consistent pass protection is exactly what the Cardinals need for quarterback Kyler Murray, who will be facing no shortage of pressure off the field this season. Fortunately, Murray has faith in his young teammate to protect his blindside.
“I love having Paris on my blind side,” Murray told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “I think he can definitely be the best tackle in the league. He’s got the traits. That just comes with growth, confidence and going out and doing it. I think people will soon realize what he is capable of.”
Paris Johnson’s Ceiling: ‘Mars’
As if expectations weren’t high enough for Paris Johnson as he enters his third NFL season, third-year head coach Jonathan Gannon made the kind of statement about his left tackle that will catch everyone’s attention heading into the year.
“I’m not going to make power statements and throw things out there but I think he has a really high ceiling,” coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him work toward that every day, because it’s Mars.”
Hyperbole aside, it’s clear that the Paris Johnson’s development is exactly where everyone in the Cardinals organization hoped it would be. That includes Paris Johnson himself, who has stated with confidence that he believes he’ll be at his very best in 2025.
“I feel like I know what it’s like to be at the top in my game,” Johnson said. “And I feel like, going into my third year, I know what it looks like … I know the standard.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post The 24-Year-Old ‘Alpha’ That Aims To Set The Standard in Arizona appeared first on Heavy Sports.