Cardinals Projected to Have Worst Defense in NFL

The Arizona Cardinals will be at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to defensive performance, according to The Ringer.

We're just over a week away from the 2023 NFL regular season beginning in Kansas City, and preparations for kickoff are now fully underway for all 32 teams in hopes of fighting for a Super Bowl appearance.

The Arizona Cardinals aren't exactly at the front of that line after an offseason that saw massive changes from top to bottom within the organization. A new era under general manager Monti Ossenfort is here, and though 2024 looks to be on the more promising end, the upcoming season is expected to be brutal for fans here in the desert. 

How brutal? On top of losing DeAndre Hopkins via free agency and Kyler Murray missing at least the first four games of the season while he still recovers from an ACL injury, the Cardinals have the lowest win total in Vegas sportsbooks (3.5 or 4/4.5 depending on where you go) ahead of the season. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals lost prominent names in J.J. Watt (retirement), Zach Allen and Byron Murphy (free agency) through the offseason. Budda Baker found his name in trade speculation before the Cardinals ultimately re-worked his deal and now his safety counterpart in Isaiah Simmons was traded for a seventh-round pick just last week. 

Arizona's defense is set to be one of the worst units in the league, at least according to The Ringer's current rankings where the Cardinals are at the bottom of the list.

"This group doesn’t require a whole lot of analysis. The Cardinals have the worst defensive roster in the NFL. They’re going to struggle to rush the passer, and they’re going to struggle to cover. Generally speaking, that’s a bad combination," wrote Sheil Kapadia. 

"New head coach Jonathan Gannon showed no ability to do more with less in Philadelphia. When the roster was loaded and healthy, the Eagles defense feasted on a weak schedule. When they faced good quarterbacks, Gannon consistently looked overmatched.

"Barring something shocking, the only time to pay attention to the Cardinals’ defense will be when you or your opponent have fantasy guys going against them."

Arizona likely will rely on rookies such as Kei'Trel Clark and BJ Ojulari to contribute early on with ILB Zaven Collins transitioning to OLB under new defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. 

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