How Cardinals Can Upgrade Biggest Need

Edge rusher and interior defensive line are the two biggest needs for the Arizona Cardinals and it's not particularly close.

The two spots might as well be 1a and 1b for their needs sheet. I don't care how the position gets addressed whether it be free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.

I'm happy with a trade, too, especially for Myles Garrett.

But no matter what, the Cardinals must leave the offseason with a minimum of two new edge rushers for that defense. No less than two, and they can have up to 14 for all I care.

There are tons of options to choose from if you're the Cardinals, too. With a hefty amount of cap space and premium picks in a loaded 2025 draft class, you should be able to not just walk away with some new additions but with some potential game changing or even cornerstone type guys.

I'm shooting for the moon in this piece as I do whatever I possibly can to fix the edge rusher position for the Cardinals. I have my top free agent, trade target, and 2025 NFL Draft prospect below as well as other names to keep an eye on.

Free Agency

Josh Sweat (Eagles)

I'll keep manifesting Sweat to the Cardinals until I'm blue in the face. Unapologetically at that.

For my money, Sweat is the best free agent pass rusher on the market given his age and production. Sweat was a huge part of both Eagles Super Bowl teams, including this year's winners.

The Florida State product has 43 sacks in seven pro seasons, which includes a rookie season where he had zero.

Sweat's best seasons came in the two years that Cardinals' head coach Jonathan Gannon was the DC in Philly, too, where he grabbed 18.5 sacks, including his only double-digit sack season (11) in 2022.

There's a chance for the player and coach to reunite in the desert. The Cardinals have more than enough cap space to sign Sweat to whatever deal they see fit (I'm on record for paying ~$28million).

From there, he becomes your ace pass rusher and instantly upgrades a lackluster group of edge defenders.

There's simply too many dots to connect from fit, previous connections, and money for this to happen.

I'll be stunned if he's not a Cardinal in 2025 to be honest.

Keep an eye on...

Chase Young (Saints)

The former second overall pick has quietly had consecutive successful seasons between the 49ers and most recently the Saints. After several serious injuries to start his career in the pros, Young has missed just one game in the last two years and has 13 sacks in that time span.

The sack numbers are a bit misleading considering the pressures he records in a part-time role.

Young is turning just 26-years-old in April and may be ready to start getting the most out of his unrivaled potential, provided it's still there. I've said before and I'll say again later when we get to the draft prospects that I trust this coaching staff wholeheartedly to develop edge rushers.

If Young is to continue reviving his career, I love Arizona to be his next landing spot.

Trade

Myles Garrett (Browns)

"Shoot for the moon, kid! Shoot for the moon!"

The same advice given to Gru in the "Despicable Me" franchise is what I am telling the Cardinals to do here with Garrett.

For what it's worth, Mr. Garrett, I do believe your arrival in the desert gets this team significantly closer to a title the moment you arrive.

Garrett is a future first-round Hall of Fame inductee with NFL records and numerous accolades on his resume. The former number one overall pick is just 29-years-old and won't turn 30 until almost the end of the year.

I won't say it confidently, but his best days could still be in front of him. He's not shown any signs of slowing down at the minimum.

I'm not sure what the cost will be for an all-time great who is still in his 20s, but ponying up whatever it takes to get him should be a priority for all 31 teams pursuing him. If the Cards are all-in on competing, then they must be one of the loudest and most active participants in the race.

Keep an eye on...

Harold Landry (Titans)

Landry has been one of the most consistent pass rushers since stepping into the league in 2018. In six seasons, he's collected 50.5 sacks with four of those seasons accumulating nine-or-more sacks -- Landry missed the entire 2022 season due to injury.

With the Titans facing arguably the biggest rebuild in the NFL heading into 2025, they are likely to sell some of their pieces for draft capital and the Cardinals could slide some ammunition to Tennessee for Landry's services.

The cost won't be nearly what Garrett's is and Arizona still upgrades their pass rush dramatically.

Draft

James Pearce (Tennessee)

Like I said of Sweat early, I am not shy about my love for Pearce and I am unapologetic about pushing the narrative for him to be drafted by the Cardinals.

Tennessee has produced some stud pass rushers over the course of the program's history and Pearce appears to be next in line after a dominant three-years in Knoxville. Pearce's sack production dipped from 13 to eight last season, but his pressures skyrocketed from 28 to 43.

Getting after the quarterback is no issue for Pearce. Rounding out his run defense, which isn't what you'd call a weakness or a flaw, will be a task for down the road. If the Cardinals can take Pearce and keep working on the things he already does well then he's destined for stardom.

Pearace goes to the Cardinals and books him for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Keep an eye on...

Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss)

Umanmielen isn't a name I often see associated with the top edge rushers in the draft and that's a shame because he's a great talent. After stud seasons with Florida from 2020-2023, Umanmielen transferred to Ole Miss for his final season of college and posted a career-best 10.5 sacks running with one of the nation's best pass rushing teams.

Even beyond the sack numbers, Umanmielen was straight up monstrous... which I'm sure has you wondering why I'd have him as my "keep an eye on..." player, which I typically reserve for someone who isn't thought of enough.

My logic is simple -- Arizona cannot leave the 2025 NFL Draft without a pass rusher, and one drafted early at that. If they don't get a guy on day one, then day two has to be the guy and the earlier the better.

Umanmielen could go as high as round one, but I think his sweet spot is somewhere in the 40-50 range. If he's within sniping distance for Arizona, they need to get him.

Honestly, I'd be down to double up with Umanmielen and whoever was the round one pick... say, James Pearce?

But, if you insist on more of a "sleeper" for this part, then I say watch for Umanmielen's teammate, Jared Ivey, who posted seven sacks for the Rebels last year.