3 Arizona Cardinals on Defense Who Have Most to Prove

For all accounts and purposes, Robinson had a disappointing rookie season. The vast majority of that disappointment was completely out of his control, however, so we should be willing to give him a clean slate. That's 100% fine with me, but with a clean slate comes a clean resume; in other words, I don't know what to expect.

Robinson was a first-round pick a year ago thanks to his absurd athleticism as a down lineman to rush the quarterback from several spots and heavier weights. He's playing around 285lbs right now, likely indicating he will play a lot with the down defensive linemen and not the edge rushers. That's a tough spot to be in considering the depth, but that's something he can use to his advantage.

Remember, we just highlighted that Robinson is good at rushing the passer, and he can easily outshine his teammates in that regard. Not playing with the edge rushers initially could be a great thing for him, as he can show off what makes him stand out from the pack. We don't need sacks, although they're never discouraged, but big-time pressure numbers will go a long way in restoring the faith in Robinson.

Elijah Simmons

Everyone's favorite UDFA gets his first crack at staying in the league against a retooled offensive line. Although Simmons wasn't highly productive throughout his college career on the box score, he managed to hold his own against SEC competition. That's what we will be hoping to see on Saturday.

Simmons isn't the type of player we expect to lead the preseason in sacks, but if he wants to hang around for a while he will need to show his ability to anchor and control the opponent's run game. He's a big man with bad intentions, and he can dominate offensive linemen with his raw strength alone.

When Simmons hits the field on Saturday, many will be looking for him to out-muscle his opponents. With how strong the depth chart is along the defensive line, Simmons will need to find a way to stand out from the pack. By starting with baby steps and proving to be a top run defender, the Tennessee product would make solid progress in that direction.

Elijah Jones

The Cardinals entered the 2025 offseason with a surplus of depth at the cornerback position, but the room has already been impacted with injuries after Starling Thomas V was knocked out for the year. Don't forget veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting's season ended months ago. The team drafted Will Johnson in the second-round of this year's draft, but he's coming off an injury plagued season.

Suddenly, the Cardinals will need the rest of their cornerback room to take a significant step forward should they be out three of their top guys long-term. That's where we would like to see Jones step in and step up. The Boston College product missed last season recovering from injury, but he should be in much better shape now with a year of learning under his belt. So long as he's good and finds the field, he's staring at a golden opportunity.

Arizona has no shortage of talented defensive backs, and Jones is one of them. He has a chance to earn his stripes in the preseason and could wind up being a serious contender to lock down a starting job. The opportunity is right there, and he can up his anti with a strong debut to the season.

We previously previewed the offensive side of the ball, too - which you can read here.