Cardinals Set to Enter Uncharted Territory

Throughout the course of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals have invested massive resources into boosting some of their weakest position groups.

In free agency, GM Monti Ossenfort brought in a trio of starting-caliber defensive players. He signed pass rusher Josh Sweat and DLs Dalvin Tomlinson/Calais Campbell, all to bolster a pass rush and interior DL unit that suffered greatly across 2023 and 2024.

And of Arizona's seven selections in the NFL Draft, six were defensive players. Three secondary members, two front seven players, and an off-ball linebacker.

By all means, the Cardinals defense should look night-and-day different compared to its previous struggling iterations. But with that comes a unique challenge for Ossenfort, Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis.

Arizona will likely have to make cuts, and significant ones.

Too many times, Arizona was on the other end, releasing bloated veteran contracts of washed-up former stars, or even struggling to put forward a full roster of defensive players.

Now, the Cardinals' defense, particularly the pass rush, will have too many players to carry into the regular season, and some of these players (even ones with potential and promise) might be on the unfortunate end of the reality that is the NFL business.

Walter Nolen III and Jordan Burch are locks, considering their high draft selection and raw potential. Sweat, Tomlinson and Campbell will all start, barring injury. The Cardinals are also expecting a year-two jump from first-round DL Darius Robinson and the injury-plagued BJ Ojulari.

Add in the re-signed Baron Browning and LJ Collier, along with 2024 free agent signings Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols, that pass rush group becomes not only deep, but crowded.

Some tough decisions will have to be made. It's likely that some of 2024's younger DL might be the odd ones out, or even some of the underperforming veterans.

There's little chance that any of the additions made in the 2025 offseason don't make it to September, and that could create a tough situation for some of those players on the bubble.

The same could be said for the secondary. Will Johnson and Garrett Williams are locks, and Ossenfort brought in another corner and safety in 2025's draft alone.

Other names like Max Melton and Starling Thomas V have shown promise, and could leave players like Sean Murphy-Bunting or Kei'Trel Clark in a bit of a fight to retain their roster spots.

Such is the reality of the NFL. In a perfect world, all players would perform well enough to earn playing time, either with their current organization or external onlookers.

But the Cardinals find themselves in uncharted territory. Now, they must whittle down their depth, and field only the best of the best. As difficult as that process can be for the players affected, it's refreshing for Arizona to have the upper hand in that regard.