ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals’ biggest need: Pass rusher or something else?

Jan 12, 2025, 1:00 PM | Updated: 1:01 pm

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort looks on...

General manager Monti Ossenfort of the Arizona Cardinals looks on before the game against the New York Jets at State Farm Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals head into the offseason with plenty on their to-do list ahead of a pivotal third year for the current regime.

As for what’s atop that list from a talent acquisition perspective?

Let’s say it all together now, a pass rusher.

Zaven Collins paced all Cardinals pass rushers with five sacks last season. After signing his contract extension this past training camp, he’s locked in as a 2025 starter. The next closest were free agent Jesse Luketa (three), the injured Dennis Gardeck (three) and rookie Xavier Thomas (three).

But outside of Collins’ season finale sack against the San Francisco 49ers, the bunch hadn’t registered a sack since Week 12.

Had it not been for Julian Okwara and Baron Browning, who picked up the slack with three combined sacks from Week 14 on, Collins’ takedown would have been the only one coming out of the outside linebackers room the final seven weeks of the season.

With both Browning and Okwara hitting free agency this offseason, it’s far from a given that they’ll be back in the mix. Gardeck and Luketa fall in the same free-agent boat.

But whether some combination of those names are back or not, additions are needed.

As for where they might come from, the 2025 NFL Draft is a safe first bet.

General manager Monti Ossenfort has been adamant on adding to the team’s core through the draft more so than free agency. After all, the threat of overpaying isn’t there. Not having bad habits from previous NFL stops is a real factor, too.

But with those pros come the mighty con of inexperience and the unknown of how rookies will translate to the NFL. No matter where a player came from, there’s going to be a learning curve. We saw it this year with both first-rounders Marvin Harrison Jr. and Darius Robinson.

As the snaps piled up, they appeared much more comfortable, but it was a process to get that point.

Adding more high-level pass-rushing talent through the draft figures to be 1a. It’s a long-term move that everyone should expect Arizona to make.

Bringing in a few short-term options to help bridge the gap but don’t empty out the coffers is right there behind it.

More help up front?

A lot has been said about the Cardinals needing to add some form of pass-rushing talent.

Not too far behind that thinking, is the defensive line.

Injuries played a massive role in the defensive line’s struggles in 2024.

On top of losing two free agent additions who had a knack for staying healthy in Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones to season-ending injuries, the Cardinals also had to navigate rookie Darius Robinson’s calf issue while also helping him through the loss of his mother.

But with those three dealing with their respective issues, that opened up the door for Dante Stills, L.J. Collier and Roy Lopez.

Despite being thrown into the fire early on in his NFL career, Stills is proving he can be an important rotational piece.

After registering 3.5 sacks, 17 pressures and 33 stops as a rookie, the sixth-round pick followed it up with 4.5 sacks, 22 pressures and 30 stops in Year 2. He posted those numbers with just one more defensive snap, too.

And with two more years to go on his rookie deal, Stills shouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

The same can’t be said for Collier and Lopez, who both head into the offseason as free agents.

Collier bounced back in 2024 with 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and six QB hits after a biceps injury limited him to just one game last year.

Lopez meanwhile presented a steady option in the middle, posting one sack, four tackles for loss and three QB hits in 16 starts. And who doesn’t like a homegrown option?

Both won’t break the bank as re-signings, either.

And let’s not forget about Robinson.

He had a tough road his rookie year but was able to get on the field for six games. The result was one sack, three quarterback pressures, eight stops, 10 tackles and a QB hit.

It took some reps, but the game looked like it slowed down for the rookie as the snaps piled up.

Had it not been for his calf injury suffered ahead of the regular season, Robinson likely would have been a starter for Arizona’s defense.

That notion remains the same heading into Year 2.

Robinson thrown into a rotation alongside Nichols, Jones and Stills is a good starting point for the Cardinals.

Spending some cap space on a Josh Sweat or Osa Odighizuwa type — as referenced by ESPN’s Benjamin Solak — would only move the needle that much more.

How about some added wide receiver competition?

Listen, I really liked the prospects of Michael Wilson serving as Arizona’s WR2 in 2024.

The big caveat heading into the season was, can he stay healthy?

Outside of missing the season finale, he achieved that.

The production, however, didn’t quite live up to early expectations.

While he saw more time on the field in Year 2 — 113 offensive snaps and three games more — Wilson accounted for fewer receiving yards (548) and first downs (27) in the increased role. He made nine more catches and added one more touchdown than he did in 2024.

Wilson isn’t going anywhere. He should have a prominent role in this offense moving forward.

That being said, Arizona could use a consistent deep threat to help stretch the field. Of Wilson’s 47 catches, 11 of them came on deep balls.

In 17 games last year, quarterback Kyler Murray came in 20th among qualified signal callers in yards per attempt (7.1).

Unlike seven of the quarterbacks preparing for the postseason who have double-digit bombs that traveled at least 40 yards, Murray registered three such throws in 2024.

It can’t always be a home run hit, but finding a more consistent down-the-field threat could do wonders for Murray and the rest of the offense.

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