Where Arizona Cardinals Sit in NFL Front 7 Rankings

We are in a golden age of pass rushers in today’s NFL, a big reason why success is measured in sack production. It’s not a coincidence most of your defensive player of the year winners lead the league in sacks or are near the top.

That’s part of the formula for a great front seven. we are also seeing more elite interior, defensive lineman than we ever have before. Don’t worry, though, we still have several top-tier linebackers.

The combination of all those is the making for an elite defense, which leads to a lot of championships.

The Arizona Cardinals realized this - which is why they made so many investments to the front seven this offseason.

But what is it enough to change this group for the better? Well, it’s a great start to be sure. 

Let’s take a look at some of the best front sevens in football and see where the Cardinals stack up. Spoiler alert though, despite the heavy investments made to the group, we need to see it proven first. Regards, the teams ahead of them are much better anyways. 

1. Philadelphia Eagles

DL: Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Azeez Ojulari

LB: Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Jihaad Campbell

Even after losing two of their best players on defense, this front seven is still elite. Carter is near the top of the league at his position and his former college teammate, Smith, has all world upside that he showed off during their Super Bowl run. Baun, Dean, and the potential of Campbell Presents a surreal linebacking corps.

2. Denver Broncos

DL: Zach Allen, DJ Jones, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper

LB: Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad 

Man, what a group. Allen had a ridiculous season a year ago and Jones pairs with him wonderfully. Bonitto was one of the leagues five best pass rushers last year, with Cooper also posting big numbers. Adding Greenlaw to the middle of the defense is nasty work. Him and Singleton should be a dang good one-two punch.

3. Los Angeles Rams

DL: Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Jared Verse, Byron Young

LB: Omar Speights, Troy Reeder, Nate Landman

I present to you, the best pass rush in the NFL. They may not be the fearsome foursome (Yet…), but no one in the league stacks up to Turner, Fiske, Verse, and Young. I’m not overly crazy over the linebacking corps, but Speights should be able to get it done.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

DL: Cameron Heyward, Derrick Harmon, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith

LB: Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Malik Harrison

Death, taxes, and the Steelers having an elite front seven — In other words, it’s just an average year for the team. Heyward continues to defy father time and can be the perfect mentor to Harmon — his heir apparent. I don’t have to say anything about Watt. Highsmith is good when healthy. Queen, Wilson, and Harrison is good enough at linebacker with that elite pass rush in front.

5. Houston Texans

DL: Tim Settle Jr, Folorunso Fatukasi, Will Anderson Jr, Danielle Hunter

LB: Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To'oTo'o, EJ Speed

The defensive interior is solid, but Anderson and Hunter outside is some nasty work. Al-Shaair, To’oTo’o, and Speed will give the linebacker room major production in the tackles department.

6. Baltimore Ravens

DL: Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy

LB: Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Teddye Buchanan

The Ravens pass rush should once again post big-time numbers. Madubuike was robbed of two sacks last year, but he’s still a beast. Oweh and Van Noy are also highly productive off the edge. Smith may not have an elite partner in crime, but he does more than enough work by himself to make up for that.

7. Detroit Lions

DL: Alim McNeil, DJ Reader, Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport

LB: Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes

We saw last year that the Lions pass rush is incredibly reliant on Hutchinson, but he will be healthy and carry this group. Reader, McNeil, and incoming rookie Tyleik Williams Will give this defense, a formidable run defense. Anzalone, Campbell, and Barnes make a high-end linebacking core.

8. San Francisco 49ers

DL: Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams

LB: Fred Warner, Dee Winters, Nick Martin

This front seven looks much different than years past, but it still has arguably the best pass rusher and the best linebacker in the league. Those two alone boost this group significantly, but they’re still plenty of potential with this group to step up.

Williams is the likely starter opposite, but Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos could help the room with depth. Warner likely carries linebacker, but the rest of the guys just have to do the bare minimum.

9. Minnesota Vikings

DL: Jonathan Allen, Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel

LB: Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace, Eric Wilson

Allen, Phillips, and Javon Hargrave gives the Vikings a stout interior, but Greenard and Van Ginkel are the largest strengths to this group and could easily be the top sack duo in the leak. If Dallas Turner can live up to his first round status last year, This defense could lead the NFL in sacks. The linebacker room is more than good enough.

10. Seattle Seahawks

DL: Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Boye Mafe, DeMarcus Lawrence

LB: Enerst Jones IV, Tyrice Knight, Drake Thomas

I’m a big fan of this front seven and believe it to be quite an underrated unit. Williams is the best down defensive lineman you’re not talking about, and Reed deserves tons of love as well. Mafe and Lawrence should be good enough, but anything from Uchenna Nwosu, who missed most of last year due to injury, is ideal. Jones is a good linebacker and should be enough for this group.

11. Buffalo Bills

DL: Ed Oliver, DaQuon Jones, Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa 

LB: Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams

The Bills' front seven can end the year much higher than this current spot. Oliver hasn’t reached his top potential yet, but we’ve seen it plenty of times in consistently. Rousseau, Epenesa, and Joey Bosa present an intriguing pass rush trail. Bernard and Williams played excellent last year, and a healthy Milano will hopefully round out what is potentially a top three linebacker core.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

DL: Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, Haason Reddick, YaYa Diaby

LB: Lavonte David, Anthony Walker Jr, Deion Jones

The Buccaneers are gambling on Reddick returning to form to boost a pass rush that has largely been missing since winning the Super Bowl, but Diaby has shown these capable of being a starter. Inside, Vea annd Kancey are terrific. The future Hall of Famer David will hold it down inside, But walker and Jones could produce sneaky good numbers.

13. Dallas Cowboys

DL: Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith, Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr

LB: DeMarvion Overshown, Jack Sanborn, Kenneth Murray Jr

If we’re being completely honest, Parsons alone makes this group elite. That being said, bringing back Fowler in free agency looks like a terrific move on paper. Re-signing Odighizuwa should be more than worth its weight in gold, but Smith needs to figure it out. Overshown has upside through the roof, but is coming off injury. The key to this group will be its past rush.

14. Kansas City Chiefs

DL: Chris Jones, Mike Pennel Jr, George Karlaftis, Mike Danna

LB: Nick Bolton, Leo Chenal, Drue Tranquill 

I’m convinced this front seven should be much better than it played in the Super Bowl, but that obviously was not the case. Still, Jones is perhaps the best defensive lineman in football, and Karlaftis should see a nice payday soon. A linebacker trio of Bolton, Chanel, and Tranquil is plenty underrated. They were exposed by the Eagles, but I think that might have just been a bad game.

15. Green Bay Packers

DL: Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Lukas Van Ness, Rashan Gary

LB: Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie

Of the front floor, Van Ness is an outstanding weakness, and the pressure is on for him to step up in year three. Gary, Clark, and Wyatt are excellent players. Walker has awesome upside when he has the game between his ears, and Cooper didn’t look half bad as a rookie. A higher ranking will depend on some guys holding their ends of the bargain and the rest of the group not dropping off and play — which isn’t to say, I believe that to be a concern.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars

DL: Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamiltone, Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker

LB: Foyesade Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, Ventrell Miller

I’m not a fan of the interior of this defensive line, but Hines-Allen and Walker are as great and edge rushing duo as the league has to offer. Behind them are Oluokun,l and Lloyd, who each could feasibly lead the league in tackles — maybe even finish numbers one and two.

17. New York Jets

DL: Quinnen Williams, Derrick Nnadi, Will McDonald V, Jermaine Johnson

LB: Quincy Williams, Jamien Sherwood, Jamin Davis

I like this group, but I don’t love this group. Williams is an animal, but doesn’t give me the numbers to support that. McDonald broke out last year, and a healthy return from Johnson provides a good combo outside. Williams, Sherwood, and Davis Are all good enough.

18. Indianapolis Colts

DL: DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu

LB: Zaire Franklin, Jaylon Carlies, Segun Olubi

I like this defensive line quite a bit. Buckner has gone his whole career virtually under the radar and Stewart has been a phenomenal nose tackle. Paye has provided consistent sack, production, and lot two looked pretty good as a rookie. I can’t say I like the linebackers too much However. Franklin is very good, but Carlies and Olubi leave me with tons of questions.

19. Arizona Cardinals

DL: Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, Josh Sweat, Baron Browning

LB: Mack Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Mykal Walker, Cody Simon

The Arizona Cardinals will check in just inside the top 20. The room was completely revamped through free agency and the NFL draft and the hope is that this will lead to far more success than we’ve seen previously. Sweat and Browning will hope to fix the past rush while Tomlinson, Campbell and rookie Walter Nolen aim to patch up the run defense. The linebacking corps will be asked to do just enough.

20. New York Giants

DL: Dexter Lawrence, Roy Robertson-Harris, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter

LB: Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Darius Muasau

Burns, Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux could be an insane trio of pass rushers, provided nothing changes (which is unlikely). Lawrence in his own right will anchor the inside. The linebacking corps is OK.

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