What Dream Offseason for Cardinals Defense Looks Like

The Arizona Cardinals need to address their defense this offseason if they want to avoid a second-half collapse to their season that they saw in 2024. Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis can seemingly get the best out of their players, but they need more to work with and it starts up front.

Injuries killed Arizona last year, but they were weak in the front seven regardless of who was healthy on that roster. An overhaul is needed, and free agency and top draft capital should be focused on beefing up the group.

The secondary should remain intact and go into the offseason as one of the team’s better groups. I’m bullish on moving on from Jalen Thompson, but it appears to be a realistic possibility the team moves on from him. Otherwise, I expect little changes and that’s a good thing.

When we look at all of this, we can start to formulate a plan for how to fix/upgrade the defense through a combination of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Trades are in play, but I don’t have any this time around.

Sorry, Myles Garrett dreamers.

Let me show you my moves to make this defense stronger and grow some thicker teeth. This group will be definitively better than last years, and the same play calling could get this group into the top half of the league or higher, provided everything goes right.

Defensive Line

Starters:
Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, BJ Hill (Free Agent)

Key depth:
Deone Walker (NFL Draft), Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones

Robinson back and healthy should keep him with a hand in the dirt at all times. He’s so big and physical that few players can match him, but let’s get the most out of his bull rush with his hand down.

Stills in the man. He shouldn’t be the Cardinals tackle over the center considering his pass rushing prowess. Instead, that role goes to Hill, who is a veteran nose tackle with great production between his stops with the Giants and Bengals.

He won’t break the bank and gets the job done.

Walker serves as the primary backup to Hill. There was once a time when Walker was seen as a day one pick, but his value is much higher in the later stages of the draft where he can start his career as a rotational player.

We didn’t get much from Nichols and Jones last year due to injury, so let’s make life easy and have them as depth

Edge Rushers

Starters:
Josh Sweat (Free Agent), Jalon Walker (NFL Draft)

Key depth:
BJ Ojulari, Jihaad Campbell (NFL Draft)

This is basically a brand-new room from what the team had last season and in the best way possible.

I’ve not been shy about my love for Sweat to come to the desert. He’s your ace pass rusher and will take little time reacquainting himself to the defense he peaked under when Gannon was his DC in Philadelphia.

Walker is one of my top candidates to be the Cardinals round one pick in April and I’ll pull the trigger here. There’s potential for him to play a rush linebacker role eventually, but I want to put training wheels on the rookie and let him get comfortable with one thing at a time.

Ojulari returns from injury for a key rotational spot.

Campbell is one of my targets during the draft. There’s a chance he’s off the board in round done, but he’s great value on day two and a trade up is warranted. The former five-star edge rusher moved to linebacker last season with Alabama, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots.

Linebackers

Starters:
Kyzir White (Re-Sign), Zaven Collins

Key depth:
Mack Wilson, Jihaad Campbell (NFL Draft)

The linebacker spot has a few moving parts here.

Moving Collins back to linebacker after being forced to play off the edge could be huge for his long-term status with the team. It also allows Arizona to get the most out of their versatile defender in Wilson.

White is a pending free agent and I’m not trying to let him get away.

Wilson is my primary backup to those two, along with Campbell who I expect will be moved around.

Cornerbacks

Starters:
Sean Murphy-Bunting, Starling Thomas, Garrett Williams

Key depth:
Max Melton, Denzel Burke (NFL Draft)

There is no need to reinvent the wheel too much here, but I do think Arizona would be best to add someone to this room for a value.

Burke is likely a day three pick who could potentially develop into a starter. Placing him in the current room allows him time to grow.

Safeties

Starters:
Budda Baker, Justin Simmons (Free Agent)

Key depth:
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

Like cornerback, I like what the Cardinals have at safety. I am someone on the side of “keep Jalen Thompson” when it comes to potentially releasing him for cap space. However, I believe in order to make some of the other moves happen that this is necessary.

His replacement comes in the form of the veteran Simmons, who is coming off a solid year with Atlanta.