TEMPE, Ariz. -- Monday marks the start of the final week of organized team activities for the Arizona Cardinals.
With seven practices left, including minicamp, this week is as important as any for the 24 rookies who are vying for a place on the roster. That means they have just seven practices left to make enough of an impression to get moved from the second practice field to the main field.
Here's a look at three rookies to watch during the final week of Cardinals' OTAs:
D.J. Humphries, tackle: Last week, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Humphries, Arizona's first-round pick, could mature more. Monday will be the first time the media gets to see observe Humphries in the wake of Arians' comments. What will they find? A lot of eyes will be on the 21-year-old.
Shaquille Riddick, outside linebacker: Riddick has been held out of the last two practices open to the media because of a hamstring injury. If he's out again this week, that's potentially 10 offseason practices Riddick will have missed. Arizona is likely being extra cautious after watching how injuries impacted last year's second-round pick Troy Niklas, who also missed extensive time during OTAs. If Riddick returns, however, the focus will be on how well he's moving and catching up.
Andrae Kirk, inside linebacker: A tackling machine in college, Kirk has the experience to jump the main field and with room on the depth chart at inside linebacker, he could fill a role for coordinator James Bettcher's first defense.
Three others to keep an eye on: DT Rodney Gunter, LB Markus Golden, T Rob Crisp
