How Cardinals Added Game-Wrecking EDGE

The Arizona Cardinals aren't done bringing in pass rush options. With their third-round pick (No. 78), the Cardinals selected OLB Jordan Burch, a pass rusher from the University of Oregon.

Burch isn't one of the names that had been circling around the Cardinals with regard to mock drafts or draft speculation, even with the knowledge that Arizona still likely needed a pass rusher — particularly off the edge.

So it came as a bit of a surprise to hear his name called to the desert on Friday. But despite the lack of hype, the Cardinals landed a game-wrecking edge rusher from a dominant defensive line at Oregon.

Burch earned an immense 81.3 pass rush grade, per PFF. He racked up volume production as well, with 8.5 sacks and 11 TFLs in his senior season in Eugene. Over 246 pass rush snaps, he posted an impressive pass rush win rate of 15.7%.

Burch doesn't necessarily look like a run defender, but he does boast significant agility and explosiveness, despite being an imposing 6-foot-6 and just under 300 pounds. He's an athletic freak, and is a sure tackler — something Jonathan Gannon emphasizes heavily.

On top of that, he can even slide inside, and rack up the pressures just as well from an interior position. The Cardinals have a bevy of options at DT after a successful free agency and the addition of Walter Nolen, but Gannon loves to rotate his defenders in and out.

He's played five years of college ball, and, similarly to second-round pick Will Johnson, is a much more refined prospect in terms of instant translatability to the NFL.

Considering Gannon loves "War Daddies," it seems as if the Cardinals might have landed just that. Burch is an intimidating presence as a pass rusher, and his main pre-draft critiques are aspects of his game that can be easily built up with competent coaching.

Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis is rolling in new toys during this draft — that's a good thing, as 2025 boasted one of the strongest group of defensive players. Burch is immediately a player to keep an eye on intently as training camp inches closer.

Live updates for each Cardinals draft move can be found here