Edmonds, Kirk, Cole solid in debuts
Saturday night’s preseason game gave Cardinals rookies a chance to finally test everything they’ve been learning at training camp. With six 2018 draft picks and 20 rookie free agents on the roster, there are plenty of fresh faces to work with. Here’s who stood out in their NFL debut:
Christian Kirk, wide receiver
Christian Kirk’s speed was on full display Saturday night. He looked explosive on his first punt return of the night but would probably switch up the end if he could.
He received the punt from Drew Kaser, who was his teammate at Texas A&M when Kirk was a freshman. He had space to work with, cutting right across the field and darting up.
He eventually stumbled at the Chargers’ 45, stopping what could have easily been a touchdown. The return was still good for 38 yards and set up the Cardinals’ first touchdown of the night. Kirk seemed to be taking the slip in stride with teammates who helped him up and were still excited about how he looked on the return.
Kirk did not attempt a return on the Chargers’ second punt of the night, letting it bounce within the 5-yard line.
Kirk would be on the receiving end of Josh Rosen’s first attempt, complete for six yards. It was the first time Kirk was targeted Saturday. He would also pick up three yards on a pass from Rosen late in the second quarter, bringing his first-half total to nine yards on two catches.
Mason Cole, center
Thrown right into the fire after an injury to A.Q. Shipley, center Mason Cole looked solid in his debut. He played just one year at center in college, though he started all four years at the University of Michigan. Backup center Daniel Munyer would replace him in the first half.
Chase Edmonds, running back
The fourth-round draft pick was in the mix from the start and put the Cardinals on the board first. On the Cardinals’ first series, he picked up 11 yards and a touchdown on five attempts.
Edmonds climbed over multiple Chargers to get there, punching in a two-yard run up the middle. An official review upheld the touchdown.
The Cardinals split runs in the first half among Edmonds, David Johnson, D.J. Foster and T.J. Logan, so he did not get any first-half carries after that.
Chris Campbell, cornerback
The sixth-round draft pick out of Penn State was in the mix on defense, getting time at cornerback. In the first half, he tallied two tackles, leading all rookies. Linebacker Haason Reddick led the defense with six tackles.