Jun 10, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat (10) shares water with a teammate during minicamp at the teams Arizona Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals' Most Important Addition Revealed

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Alex D'Agostino | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals have rendered their defense nearly unrecognizable throughout the course of the offseason in an attempt to turn their greatest weakness into a team strength.

In both free agency and the NFL Draft, Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort prioritized one thing: defense. Beyond that, there was a heavy focus on bolstering the front seven, adding both pass rushers and interior DL.

Arizona Cardinals Pass Rusher Was Important Addition

The frenzy of moves all began on day one of free agency, with the splash signing of pass rusher and Super Bowl hero Josh Sweat.

According to USA Today's Christian D'Andrea, Sweat is the Cardinals' most important newcomer, standing out among the bevy of other additions.

"The Cardinals' pass rush ranked 23rd in pressure rate last season. Only two players had more than 3.5 sacks and no one had more than five. Enter Sweat, who'll pair with Baron Browning and Zaven Collins at the edge in hopes of relieving the pressure on a secondary whose 0.101 expected points added (EPA) per dropback ranked 24th in the league. That'll also put some pressure on second round rookie Will Johnson, who has the chops to be 2025's biggest draft steal," D'Andrea wrote.

Sweat is certainly the most premier pass rushing name added by Ossenfort. He's enjoyed a solid level of success over the course of his seven-year career, but excelled the most under former Eagles defensive coordinator and current Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

In 2022, he posted a career-best 11 sacks alongside his former and current coach. Though he only recorded eight sacks in 2024, he came through in the Eagles' run to a Lombardi trophy. With 2.5 sacks of Patrick Mahomes, Sweat even had an argument to be awarded Super Bowl MVP.

The Cardinals didn't necessarily need to trade for a top-level pass rusher like Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby. What they needed was a clear-cut upgrade off the edge (and, perhaps more importantly, along the interior). They got just that in Sweat, and bolstered the talent around him with a group of interior DL in both free agency and the draft.

Arizona's defense is yet to be seen. On paper, it looks like it could be one of the stronger groups in the NFL. That will ultimately come down to execution, of course, but Sweat will certainly be a part of that equation.

Whether or not the Cardinals' defense emerges as a formidable unit, Sweat will significantly raise the floor of a previously-thin group of pass rushers.