Forget the Stars: These 3 Cardinals Could Actually Define Arizona's Season

The Arizona Cardinals have some big names — but what about players who are waiting to prove themselves?

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Robinson (56) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals are expected to do next to nothing in 2026 by all accounts, projections and expectations. Perhaps understandably so.

The Cardinals enter the new year with a first-time head coach in Mike LaFleur, no established franchise quarterback moving forward and a defense that is questionable despite strong individual talent.

The good news? Football isn't played on paper, and in a league where roughly 60% of games come down to one score, the Cardinals should have plenty of chances to pull the upset card.

We know Trey McBride will dominate. Budda Baker will fly around the defensive secondary while other big names will make noise, too.

Yet there's a handful of players scattered throughout the roster who could really define the coming season:

RT Elijah Wilkinson

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson (65) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Why he matters: The Cardinals believe they upgraded their two interior guard spots with free agent Isaac Seumalo and second-round pick Chase Bisontis, pairing them with left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and center Hjalte Froholdt to form a solid four-of-five starting spots on the line.

The biggest question mark is Wilkinson, who arrived as a free agent after starting every game at right tackle for the Atlanta Falcons last season. Wilkinson graded below average using metrics from Pro Football Focus, though he profiles well to anchor the right side of the line in LaFleur's wide zone scheme.

If Wilkinson can play up to par, the Cardinals will have a strong starting five up front for the first time in years — which is the gateway for success elsewhere in the offense. However, an offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link, and if Wilkinson regresses, Arizona's starting line won't reach its potential.

DE Darius Robinson

Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson (56) against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Why he matters: The former first-round pick is entering a pivotal third season after largely failing to make an impact after a rocky start that was filled with injuries and unfortunate off-field happenings.

The Cardinals insisted last year thatRobinson was still making noise despite not stuffing the box score, but as a first-round pick, fans demand more.

Especially with fourth-round pick Kaleb Proctor going down with an injury, Robinson will be tasked yet again with improving his game and becoming the dominant presence he was in the college ranks.

Should Robinson begin to make that climb, Arizona's ability to control the interior will improve far more than past iterations.

A healthy Walter Nolen, Proctor, Roy Lopez and Dante Stills combined with an improved Robinson would work wonders for defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and a unit that simply has lost battles far too often in the past.

Yet another down season would hinder the Cardinals' ability to control the trenches, and with a crucial fifth-year option coming in the 2027 offseason, that could very well seal Robinson's fate in the desert.

OLB BJ Ojulari

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker BJ Ojulari (18) before action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Why he matters: Josh Sweat led the Cardinals with 12.5 sacks last year, and outside of their premier pass rusher, there was virtually no substance emerging from that room.

Arizona doubled down on their internal development of outside linebackers such as Jordan Burch, Zaven Collins, Baron Browning and BJ Ojulari.

Out of that crew, Ojulari touts the best blend of potential and experience — his rookie season saw him amass four sacks on just 37% of defensive snaps before a disastrous knee injury ahead of 2024 set the former second-round pick back.

Typically players don't see themselves return to true form until a year after the initial recovery, which sets the table for 2026.

If Ojulari can capture some of the prowess we saw from his rookie season, the Cardinals' pass rush could see a significant boost opposite of Sweat. Reaching the quarterback is something Arizona needs to do far better than previous seasons, and even if sacks aren't the ultimate result, more pressure only helps the secondary in their opportunities to cover and take the ball away too.

Arizona clearly is desperate for somebody outside of Sweat to emerge. Collins is far better in the run, Browning is a rotational rusher and Burch is still an unproven commodity — which places Ojulari in the driver's seat to have the most impact.