Arizona Cardinals Defender Named Best in NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals' defense is much-improved with an influx of new talent, but the long-tenured stars are still getting recognized for their excellence.

There's no doubt Arizona sported very little talent worth recognizing defensively up until this offseason, but one name has always been undeniable.

Arizona Cardinals Budda Baker Selected to NFC West All-Star Team

Bleacher Report's Matt Holder put together an offensive and defensive NFC West All-Star team. His offense featured a pair of Cardinals, but also snubbed one of the desert's biggest stars.

But on defense, one name was an undeniable add: star safety Budda Baker. Baker was featured at the top of the list, next to Seattle's Julian Love.

Here's what Holder had to say:

"There are a handful of good safeties to pick from in the division, as Coby Bryant, Jalen Thompson, Kamren Kinchens, Kamren Curl and Ji'Ayir Brown all received some consideration. However, it’s hard to top these two.

"Baker has made the Pro Bowl in seven out of eight years and was named to his fourth All-Pro team (two first-team and two second-team) in 2024. Meanwhile, Love has registered seven interceptions, 22 passes defended, 232 tackles and one Pro Bowl since signing with the Seahawks two years ago," Holder wrote.

Baker has been both an excellent player and a strong locker room leader for the Cardinals. There's a reason GM Monti Ossenfort prioritized keeping him around during the regime change, and a reason why he extended the Pro Bowler despite Baker entering his age-30 season.

Baker finished second in the NFL in total tackles with 164 in 2024. While he's never been much a ball-hawk, he's been the life force of Arizona's secondary, making ope-field plays, playing solid run defense and even sacking the QB when there was little pass rush to be found.

Arizona Cardinals Star CB Snubbed

In the CB department, however, Holder chose 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir over Cardinals star Garrett Williams.

Holder did mention Williams in his explanation, but did not feature him on his theoretical team.

"Don't sleep on Garrett Williams in Arizona, as he is coming off an impressive campaign. However, Lenoir has been fantastic in back-to-back seasons to earn the nod heading into the fall. Granted, he might have to play outside more now that Charvarius Ward is in Indianapolis," he wrote.

Williams is emerging as one of the best coverage corners in the NFL. Although he plays the slot (a position that's seen as carrying less value overall), he's still led the NFL in numerous areas and seen his name up next to some of the NFL's most elite defenders.

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