GLENDALE - The Arizona Cardinals are fully underway into their 2026 training camp session, and players are beginning to separate themselves from the pack.
We've seen typical big names such as Budda Baker and Trey McBride make plays, though summertime at State Farm Stadium is always good for a camp surprise or two.
This year, it's wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
Smith-Marsette will turn 27 years old next month and is on his sixth NFL team. He is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds on the Cardinals ' official team site and played his college football at Iowa before being made a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Smith-Marsette initially began his career with the Minnesota Vikings before eventually making his way to the Chicago Bears , Kansas City Chiefs (where he won a Super Bowl), Carolina Panthers and most recently the New York Giants before landing in the desert this offseason.
Smith-Marsette is currently on a future/reserve contract.
Smith-Marsette is in a Cardinals receiver's room that features the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne , so opportunities to really make a splash will come few and far between.
However, Smith-Marsette is doing just that. His speed to create separation against defenders and ability to bring down catches either across the middle or deep down the sideline has been evident this training camp.
The Cardinals don't have a bonafide "explosive" receiver in the mix. Harrison does many things at a high level while Wilson is their strongest contested catch artist and Bourne is a reliable slot receiver, though Arizona doesn't quite have a burner or deep threat.
Smith-Marsette possesses the acceleration to take a top off of opposing defenses, and he just might be one of the Cardinals' fastest wideouts.
While his ability as a receiver has been showcased, it's really another facet of his game that can see him sneak onto the 53-man roster.
Regardless if the Cardinals keep five or six receivers, Smith-Marsette's special teams value is going to either land him on the final roster after preseason cuts or at very minimum will generate some tough conversations in that process.
Smith-Marsette has consistently been in the group of return men on special teams while he's also a capable gunner. In his last two seasons played, Smith-Marsette logged 34% of special teams snaps played.
That's exactly how you earn a spot on an NFL team. When teams are identifying the final building blocks for their initial 53-man roster, special teams value and the ability to wear multiple hats on gameday can very much play into Smith-Marsette's favor.
He's a talented receiver. He's a willing special teams contributor. And he's been a surprise player turning heads at Cardinals training camp thus far.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/cardinals/onsi as Surprise Playmaker Is Already Turning Heads at Cardinals Training Camp .
