Cardinals' Emari Demercado: Nets 79 touches as rookie

Demercado tallied 284 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries and hauled in 21 of 30 targets for 119 yards in 14 regular-season games in 2023.

The undrafted rookie had a moment in the spotlight from Weeks 5-8, a span in which he earned two starts in place of an injured James Conner and netted 228 yards from scrimmage and one TD on 52 touches. Otherwise, Conner dominated the Cardinals backfield, and midseason waiver-wire pickup Michael Carter even surpassed Demercado on the RB depth chart over the final six outings of the season. All of Conner, Carter and Demercado will be back in 2024, so Demercado again won't be higher than No. 2 or 3 at the position as the roster currently stands.