ESPN: Cardinals Most Likely to Improve

The Arizona Cardinals significantly overachieved defensively last season considering the injuries and personnel changes they were forced to make.

Several players including B.J. Ojulari, Darius Robinson, Dennis Gardeck, Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones, Elijah Jones, and Jesse Luketa missed time last season after being projected to fill major roles whether as starters or rotational players.

It led to Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis being forced into making some massive pivots in order to keep the defense productive and not sink into oblivion.

They did so successfully - for the most part - when you take everything in account. Arizona yielded the 14th best passing defense last season and the 15th best scoring defense, allowing 216.1 passing yards per game and 22.3 PPG.

A defense that was obliterated up front with few pass rushing options also managed 41 sacks, good enough for the 13th most in the league.

Gannon and Rallis made the most out of nothing, but they added tons of ammo this offseason to ensure the room stays deep.

A big free agent splash was made for pass rusher Josh Sweat. Arizona also brought back fan-favorite Calais Campbell to anchor the interior of the defensive line.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the team spent six of its seven picks on defense, headlined by Walter Nolen and Will Johnson.

With all of the additions along with key re-signings of players like Baron Browning, the Cardinals are hoping for substantial growth from the unit. With great coaching, returning continuity, and new faces to make positions better, it's a fair assumption and anticipation for the defense.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell shares that belief, posting a superlative for every team in the NFC following the offseason moves made.

He called Arizona the most likely to make a leap on defense.

Like we just broke down, it shouldn't be a surprise to anticipate an improvement after last season's production in spite of several setbacks.

Barnwell says, "If an NFL defense could be critically acclaimed without actually playing all that well, it would be the 2023-24 Cardinals." Among those highlighted were Budda Baker who Barnwell says is "on a mission " to touch every blade of grass on the field along with Garrett Williams, who has become one of the best slot corners in the league.

After noting the team's struggle to generate pressure despite a solid sack total, Barnwell noted the Cardinals' attempts to improve with free agent signings of Sweat, Campbell, and Dalvin Tomlinson.

Those additions should really help the front seven settle down and get back to basics rather than adjusting the way they play on a weekly basis.

Barnwell also noted the selections of Nolen and Johnson, highlighting their respective upside and potential.

To round out his thoughts, Barnwell said:

"If Gannon and his new defenders can just propel the defense a tiny bit forward, Arizona should have a real shot at competing for the NFC West crown and making it back into the postseason."

It's truly not an unrealistic projection, even if it holds plenty of optimism. It seems as though many have forgotten that the Cardinals were front runners for the division crown before they completely derailed in the second-half of the season.

Consistency from start to finish will be the key, and the defense had enough work done to carry its end of the bargain.

As long as the Cardinals' offense can find any consistency and avoid meltdowns then there's no reason to believe Arizona can't take that next step.

The Cardinals are a well-run team under Gannon and it's no accident they went from bottom-feeders in year one of his tenure to surprise contenders in year two. The quick turnaround the franchise is seeing is raising minimum expectations for Gannon, but they are more than warranted, and he is more than deserving of taking credit.

The 2025 season became much more important after last season's success, and a beefed up defense could be exactly what they need to get back into mid-late January football.

You'll find myself in complete agreement with Barnwell here. All signs indicate improvement for the unit, and I am of the belief that they will be a surprise defense in 2025.

I'm not ready to say they will be elite, but I will happily and confidently take them to be in the top half of the league in most, if not all, major statistical categories on that side of the ball.

Defense wins championships, and the Cardinals are building this team the right way based on their heavy investments to that group.