Trey Benson, Michael Carter, and Emari Demercado in Battle for Cardinals RB2

What They're Saying

Tyler Drake: "For those thinking the RB2 battle was firmly between Michael Carter and rookie Trey Benson, Emari Demercado has something to say.

Throughout camp, Demercado has been a common occurrence subbing in for starter James Conner during first-team work.

It’s only been one day of pads, but his pass-protecting ability, which earned him valuable playing time as a rookie, has been on display early on.

Keeping Murray upright is crucial to a successful season, and it’s clear the Cardinals are liking what Demercado is bringing to the table so far.

Behind Conner and Demercado, Carter got first crack at second-team reps, with rookie Trey Benson subbing in for the veteran."

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

This isn't great news for the rookie Benson who appears to be behind in the early depth chart of RBs.

Demercado is often the forgotten man in the backfield, but he has gotten recent work with the first team behind James Conner.

The RB2 for the Cardinals is a key position with Conner's injury history. We project Conner to miss 2.80 games this season.

Dynasty Impact

Benson is a highly valued rookie after being drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the NFL Draft, but needs to play catch-up throughout training camp to earn that back-up job.

If Benson can't pass Carter and Demercado early this year, it spells some long term issues on Benson's talent and how the coaching staff views him.

There is a long way to go, but it is a situation worth monitoring.