Greg Toler

Toler is set to start opposite Vontae Davis at cornerback again this season. Toler played 15 games last season after several injury plagued seasons, but graded poorly in coverage as he was one of the six worst pass defenders at cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus. He may not have a ton of job security as a result.

Toler will start opposite Vontae Davis at cornerback. He missed nine games last season and aggravated a groin injury in the playoffs. His return to full strength is a key to a defense that is short on depth after the departure of Antoine Bethea and Cassius Vaughn in free agency.

Toler is expected to be in the hunt to start at a cornerback spot. He started two games at corner for the Cardinals in 2012 and had two interceptions, one of which he returned 102 yards for a touchdown.

Toler missed all of 2011 with a torn ACL, and will battle free-agent acquisition William Gay for the starting corner spot opposite Patrick Peterson in 2012.

Toler ended 2010 with 90 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He should start at the right corner position.

Toler will begin as the frontrunner for the Week 1 spot in competition that includes Mike Adams, Rashad Barksdale, Trumaine McBride and rookie Jorrick Calvin. Toler was a fourth-round pick of the Cards in 2009 and his lack of Division 1 college experience led to his tumble down the draft board, but Arizona is optimistic that he might be a diamond in the rough.

Emboldened by their success drafting a small-school defensive back (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) in 2008, the Cardinals reached even further by selecting Toler out of tiny St. Paul’s College in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Toler isn’t expected to start as a rookie like Rodgers-Cromartie did. Toler is a long-term project with great speed that will probably need some time to adapt to the NFL. He will compete with veteran Ralph Brown and fellow rookie Rashad Johnson for the Cardinals’ nickelback position during training camp.