Youth Movement Can Propel Arizona Cardinals to Playoffs

The Arizona Cardinals are headed into 2025 guns blazing after a strong sophomore showing for Jonathan Gannon leading the team. After sparing no expense this offseason to load up the team, the Cardinals have made it clear they have one thing on their mind: make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

The roster they've assembled has a great range of youth and veteran players that provides just the right amount of balance needed to take that next step. The stalwarts of the team will keep the wheel steady, while the next generation puts the pedal to the metal.

The question we have as of now is which side of the coin should the Cardinals place more of their trust into? I've already looked at why the veterans should guide the team, so let's flip the script and see why we should give the keys to the youngsters.

Youth Movement Will Be Pivotal to Arizona Cardinals Success

When we looked at the veterans of the team, I highlighted the defense specifically needing those guys to run the field. Budda Baker and Calais Campbell have the respect and the years to back up that claim, but Jalen Thompson and Josh Sweat have seen their time in the pros manage plenty of success.

That core group, plus others I didn't name like Zaven Collins, Mack Wilson and Dalvin Tomlinson will be asked to serve key roles.

However, the time is now and the defense has no shortage of young men ready to tell their elders to take some plays off. Walter Nolen can outshine the entire defensive line by the end of the season, and third-year man Dante Stills could be the starter opposite him.

Don't forget about Darius Robinson, who should be healthy and ready to go.

The secondary is where it's at, with Garrett Williams (year three) asserting himself as an elite nickel corner. Starling Thomas V (year three), Max Melton (year two), and Will Johnson (rookie) can all become plus starters, and that's not to mention the rest of the room, too.

So, even with the veterans in place, the youth behind them have a chance to outplay them sooner rather than later.

The offense is undergoing a youth movement with Marvin Harrison Jr (22), Trey McBride (25), Michael Wilson (25), and Trey Benson (22) slated to anchor the unit for years to come. Kyler Murray and James Conner are two of the biggest and most important veterans here, but those four will likely have the biggest impact on how the offense operates in 2025.

That balance of youth and veterans will make the Cardinals a worthy contender, but an emphasis to run with the former could be what changes the outlook of the team from "potential" to "certainty" for postseason football.

With the right mindset, this team has every chance to rebound from last season’s tough finish, and there’s no better fuel for that fire than a group of hungry young players looking to prove they belong.

The Cardinals are dreaming of the playoffs, and there may be no better route there than to go all-in on the young talent they're assembling and have the veterans manage from smaller roles.