Which Rival Do Rams Need to Keep Close Eye On?

When Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a deflection off of Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride's head to gift Los Angeles the NFC West, there was a feeling that something was happening in Arizona.

There's no other way to put it, Arizona should have won that game. They should have won many games in the 2024 season but they came up short. The team took a massive move to change that, spending six of their seven 2025 NFL Draft picks on defense.

To find out what is going on in the desert, I spoke to Arizona Cardinals On SI's Donnie Druin to get a sense of the situation.

"The Cardinals insist they let the board fall to them in terms of grades and didn’t want to force positional value, though six of seven picks coming on the defensive side of the ball certainly sends a message - even after spending heavily in free agency. "Said Druin when asked about why the Cardinals focused of defense.

"To me, it shows they’re serious about really getting their defense from good to great. I don’t think all but one pick arriving on defense is an accident."

Druin also shared his thoughts after the Cardinals drafted the controversial defensive tackle out of Ole Miss, Walter Nolen with his thoughts.

"Walter Nolen was Arizona’s top guy on the board when it was their turn to make the pick, which shouldn’t be a surprise given his versatility and ability to impact the quarterback on the defensive interior. Character concerns were valid prior to his selection, though the Cardinals said they were more than comfortable with drafting him after their Top 30 visit. Beefing up the DL was a major priority this offseason and the Cardinals did just that."

The Cardinals are stacking their defensive line as franchise legend Calais Campbell returns after eight years. The team added Gannon's former top pass rusher with the Eagles' Josh Sweat.

In 2022, Gannon's defense in Philadelphia had four players who recorded 10+ sacks. One of them was Sweat. Another was Javon Hargrave, a pass-rushing defensive tackle. That sounds a lot like Nolen. They had an aging veteran who had a rebound year in defensive end Brandon Graham.

Graham, while being able to play on the outside, typically lines up on the inside. That's Campbell. While we have to wait to see who becomes Hassan Reddick, it's clear Gannon is recreating his 2022 defense. He also added Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, a second-round selection that would have been a top ten pick if not for injury.

But with only one addition on offense, how will that take Kyler Murray to the next level?

"The Cardinals are confident in their offense taking the next step, but Arizona is clearly banking on continuity - more specifically in regards to the Kyler Murray-Marvin Harrison Jr. connection. Will that pay off? That’s a massive gamble the organization is taking with virtually no offensive improvements."

That remains the big question. Trey McBride is an elite weapon and OC Drew Petzing's offense kept Murray healthy and productive enough to make the playoffs.

If the defense hits their top five potential, the Cardinals will be Super Bowl contenders and they will be a threat to the Rams' NFC West crown.

The good news is that the last time the Cardinals made the playoffs, the Rams won the Super Bowl.

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