The Arizona Cardinals spent much of 2025 battling injuries, but nowhere did it sting more than at wide receiver. Losing Marvin Harrison Jr. left the team struggling for reliable targets, and questions about Kyler Murray’s future only added to the uncertainty. With urgency mounting across the offense, ESPN’s Matt Miller believes one explosive Alabama WR could help jumpstart a passing attack that suddenly needs a full reset.

That Alabama WR is Germie Bernard, and in his latest mock draft, Miller has Arizona pegged as a potential landing spot for him at No. 34. Writing about the move, Miller praised the Bama WR’s unique skillset.

“Bernard has the elite ability to make plays after the catch and is a dynamic player who is capable of lining up all over the alignment—including in the backfield, in the slot and at X receiver,” he said.

With their 2025 season falling apart at wide receiver, Bernard’s dynamic skill set feels tailor-made for a team that is starving for healthy playmakers. Marvin Harrison Jr. missed a few games due to a lingering heel injury and mid-season appendectomy. “I lost the majority of the weight that I had, but kind of back to square one a little bit, and then never got a chance to recover,” Marvin Harrison Jr. said.

Greg Dortch’s season-ending chest injury left Arizona leaning heavily on Michael Wilson, who stepped up as the team’s top receiver. While Harrison and Wilson give the Cardinals two solid cornerstones, depth behind them quickly became an issue, forcing the team to rotate players just to fill the No. 3 spot. That’s where Bernard comes in.

Bernard started his college career as a four-star recruit at Michigan State in the 2022 recruiting class. Before moving to Washington under Kalen DeBoer, the wide receiver featured in East Lansing under Mel Tucker. At the Huskies, he was part of the legendary Washington offense that reached the national championship game. When DeBoer moved from Washington, he followed his head coach to Tuscaloosa.

Over two seasons at Bama, Bernard accumulated 1658 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The Tide utilized him in various ways. He often lined up in the backfield and even had running plays. Ryan Grubb even used his high school QB background to throw the occasional pass. That same background means that Bernard is extremely comfortable getting the ball. It doesn’t matter if it’s a shovel pass, a jet sweep, or even a direct snap.

The scouting reports for the 2026 NFL Draft have described him as a ‘true possession receiver’ and a ‘technician with his movement.’ His route-running isn’t explosive; however, it’s consistent and crisp. Most importantly, Bernard doesn’t seem to lose momentum when he runs breaking routes.

While Miller has him going to the Cardinals, other mock drafts have also linked him to the Colts as a mid-2nd/mid-3rd round selection. But if he comes to Arizona, he’d have the chance to work under a coaching genius straight from the Sean McVay coaching tree.

Arizona turns to Mike LaFleur

The Arizona Cardinals officially ended weeks of uncertainty by hiring Mike LaFleur as their new HC, hoping the 38-year-old offensive mind can help drag the team out of the NFC West basement. After Jonathan Gannon was fired on January 5, Arizona’s search intensified. It took the organization almost four weeks to consider all of its possibilities, including a late bid for Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The Cardinals shifted their attention back to LaFleur after Kubiak headed for Las Vegas.

LaFleur comes from the Los Angeles Rams, where he averaged over 30 points and nearly 400 yards per game in 2025, leading the NFL’s best offense. LaFleur played a key role in creating one of the league’s most potent offenses, even though Sean McVay handled play-calling. Arizona saw this firsthand when the Rams scored 82 points against them in two games this season.

LaFleur’s toughest task would be rebuilding a Cardinals team coming off a terrible 3–14 season in a division that just sent three teams into the playoffs. He does walk into a room with impressive pieces, including All-Pro TE Trey McBride, budding talents Marvin Harrison Jr. and Paris Johnson Jr., and veteran edge rusher Josh Sweat, but the challenge ahead is massive.