Cardinals Lock Up Three Draft Picks, Clear Roster Space With Baccellia Release

Per the team's announcement, the Arizona Cardinals have signed fifth-round wide receiver Reggie Virgil, sixth-round linebacker Karson Sharar, and seventh-round offensive lineman Jayden Williams to their rookie contracts. The moves are standard post-draft housekeeping, but the simultaneous release of wide receiver Andre Baccellia signals the Cardinals are already trimming receiver depth and clarifying who they're actually investing in.

Virgil walks into one of the more defined depth charts in the NFC West. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the unquestioned alpha after a promising rookie campaign, Michael Wilson is entrenched as the WR2, and Kendrick Bourne brings veteran slot versatility. That's three players ahead of Virgil before training camp opens, with at least eight more receivers also in the building. His path to a 53-man roster spot runs almost entirely through special teams, not the passing game — a reality the Cardinals essentially acknowledged by framing his value the same way they described Sharar's: coverage units and gunner reps.

Sharar, who logged more than 570 special teams snaps at Iowa, is a legitimate candidate to make the roster strictly on those merits. Linebacker depth is always volatile through the summer, and Iowa's special teams factory has a track record of producing NFL contributors. Williams, meanwhile, projects as a swing tackle with real upside — he started every game at right tackle at Ole Miss last season and has 19 starts at left tackle since 2022. That versatility has genuine value on an offensive line that will face injury attrition over a 17-game schedule.

From a prop-market standpoint, the story here is what the Cardinals' receiver room structure confirms about Harrison's target ceiling entering 2025. With Baccellia gone and Virgil unlikely to threaten for real offensive snaps, the Cardinals are essentially running a three-receiver rotation at the top of the depth chart. Harrison's receiving yards and receptions props should command a premium — he's the only true alpha on a team that will need him to function as a 130-plus target receiver if Arizona wants to be competitive. Bourne's receptions props could also carry value as a reliable third option in short-yardage and red zone packages, particularly if Wilson misses time.

The Baccellia cut is a minor footnote, but it reinforces a clean narrative: Arizona is not hedging on their receiving corps, they're betting on it. For bettors, that concentration of target share makes Harrison one of the more compelling receivers to build prop parlays around heading into the season — especially in games where Arizona projects as a pass-heavy underdog with positive game-script implications.