Cardinals Safety is 2025 Breakout Candidate

The Arizona Cardinals' defense certainly performed above their expectations in 2024. But among the many young defensive players who had a chance to see playing time, one defensive back stands out as a breakout candidate for the upcoming season.

Rookie safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, nicknamed "Rabbit," was taken in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. At the time, the pick was a bit of a mystery, with a pair of excellent safeties already in the Cardinals' secondary in Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson.

But while both Baker and Thompson played a majority of games in 2024, head coach Jonathan Gannon's rotational philosophy helped provide an opportunity for Taylor-Demerson to do more than just get his feet wet in the NFL.

The rookie played in all 17 games in 2024, though he was limited to 258 snaps. Still, Taylor-Demerson flew all over the field, providing a quick-twitch physicality and excellent open-field tackling skills.

When Thompson went down with an injury, Taylor-Demerson started back-to-back contests, facing the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.

And he made the most of those opportunities. In his two starts, the rookie recorded three passes defensed, 15 total tackles and a TFL.

While he's not much of a run-stuffer, Taylor-Demerson profiles similarly to Baker in style. He's quick to the ball, has good wrap-up skills and fast reaction times. His high motor, energy and speed make him an excellent piece of the Cardinals' secondary.

The rookie posted a 75.5 PFF defensive grade, third amongst all Cardinals' defenders, finishing behind only Baker and star cornerback Garrett Williams.

In coverage, he was awarded a 70.0 grade. Coverage is a difficult aspect of a safety's game to judge, and the Cardinals rarely call on Baker or players like him to lock down single-coverage matchups.

So it's a good sign that Taylor-Demerson already showcased a good amount of raw coverage tools to go along with his Baker-like arsenal.

Considering Baker just signed a three-year, $54 million extension to keep him in the desert, it might seem as if Taylor-Demerson's opportunity could remain limited.

But in all likelihood, his role will still increase in 2025. As mentioned above, Gannon loves to rotate his players, and despite an excellent rookie season, there's plenty of development to be had.

While he might not have been consistently excellent, Taylor-Demerson had plenty of good games, or individual moments of excellence in games. He closed out the season with an 85.5 defensive grade in a blowout week 18 win over the 49ers.

He finished his rookie season with 37 total tackles, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and three TFLs. Considering his low snap count, that production could skyrocket as he takes on a greater share of the platoon alongside Baker.

The Cardinals have a very bright young future on the defensive side of the ball, and Taylor-Demerson will be an intriguing player to watch develop.