Should Cardinals Pursue Veteran OL?

The Arizona Cardinals have done an excellent job adding talent to the thinnest positions on the roster over the course of the past several months with a bevy of defensive signings and draft picks.

However, they have yet to make significant additions to the offense.

They did bring in young OL prospect Hayden Conner in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the fact remains outside of Evan Brown and a significant year-two jump from Isaiah Adams, there's little in the way of depth, or even starting-caliber play along Arizona's interior.

The Cardinals would do well to bring in another starter, preferably a veteran to aid in the development of younger guys like Adams and Conner, and veteran guard Dalton Risner is one of the few remaining options with any amount of solidity.

Risner is 29 years old, and has been a sturdy interior OL with both the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. In 2024, he posted a well-above-average 76.2 pass blocking grade, committed zero penalties, and allowed zero sacks per Pro Football Focus.

He allowed 16 total pressures and just one QB hit over the course of 537 offensive snaps. He's generally been more suited to pass protection than run-blocking, but has been reliable at protecting his QB, and plays clean football.

The main sticking point is injury concerns, as he's missed time in his past four seasons. He played just 10 games in 2024.

That's something the Cardinals tend to stay away from. However, if Risner was brought in as a platoon member, playing more limited snaps alongside Adams, Conner or other in-house options, the Cardinals could maximize his abilities, using him as more of a pass-blocking specialist and keeping some amount of wear and tear off the veteran.

He might not be quite as dominant as former Cardinals guard Will Hernandez, but he does have veteran savvy and a solid toolkit, and has been at least an above-average player almost every year of his career.

PFF projects a mere one-year, $4.5 million deal for the free agent guard. If GM Monti Ossenfort is looking for good value in a starting-caliber veteran, Risner could be a plus acquisition.