Cardinals Have One Glaring Roster Need

The Arizona Cardinals are in the process of building their roster for the summer, and things look a lot better on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cardinals selected five of their six rookies in the NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball, but the unit still has one position in need of an upgrade.

ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz believes that the Cardinals may still be in need of an inside linebacker.

"The departure of Kyzir White, who wore the green dot last season, underlines the Cardinals' linebacker questions. Last season marked Mack Wilson Sr.'s first as a full-time starter since 2019. So there isn't a long track record of success. Playing next to him will be Akeem Davis-Gaither, who started double-digit games for the first time last season but has had tackling issues in the past," Schatz wrote.

"The backups are third-year man Owen Pappoe and fourth-round rookie Cody Simon, who led Ohio State in tackles in 2024."

The Cardinals could continue to rely on the players they currently have on the roster, or they may decide to add a free agent at some point during the second half of the offseason.

The team likely wants to take a closer look at Simon, the team's first pick on Day 3, to figure out if he can fill that void for the Cardinals.

Simon was the leading tackler on the Ohio State team that won the national championship this past season, and there's a chance he could flourish in a similar role with the Cardinals defense in his rookie year.

He will battle for a role with the Cardinals during the offseason, and his performance will likely determine if Arizona deems it necessary to find someone else to fill that position in a larger capacity.

The Cardinals rookie minicamp takes place from Friday until Sunday.