We’ve already taken a look at the offense. Now it’s time to see how the defense is looking: starters, depth, and future outlook.
A couple weeks ago, I took at look at the Arizona Cardinals offense in the wake of free agency and the draft. I used the following rating scale for each position group, looking at starters, depth, and future outlook:
- All Set: We have all the players we need, whether for 2024 or future seasons. Monti is done adding here for the foreseeable future. (There will be very few of these.)
- In Good Shape: We’re looking good but are still a player or two away from All Set. Monti will be looking for small upgrades here and there.
- Work In Progress: Things are very unsettled—we’re multiple players away from In Good Shape and All Set is just a dream. Monti will be looking for major upgrades.
I meant to get to the defense last week, but I had to take some time to break down the schedule instead. So now it’s time for a look at the state of the Cardinals defense. While I have a lot of hope for the offense this season, the same can’t be said for the other side of the ball. Monti Ossenfort still has a ton of work ahead of him to build the kind of defense that can help this team compete for the playoffs, division titles, and beyond.
That said, this unit is definitely improved from last season, which is about all you can ask for right now. But how improved? Let’s dive in and see how each position group is looking.
Defensive Line
Starters: Zaven Collins, Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones, BJ Ojulari
In Good Shape: The starting unit looks credible to me, especially with the additions of Nichols and Jones in the middle. They should be a noticeable improvement over the likes of Kevin Strong and Leki Fotu from last season. On the outside, Collins didn’t make as much of an impact as a pass rusher like many hoped, but he played well enough. Ojulari tied for second on the team in sacks (albeit with just 4) in a part-time role—improvement from him is hoped for and expected. If we can get league-average play out of the starters, we’ll be looking okay here.
Depth: Darius Robinson, Ray Lopez, Xavier Thomas, Dante Stills
Work In Progress: There are a ton of other names on the depth chart to mention: Khyiris Tonga, Naquan Jones, Ben Stille, Cameron Thomas, L.J. Collier, et al. If you squint, you can see the makings of competent depth, but most of these guys are either very green or are journeymen. If the youngsters listed at the top here play well—1st-rounder Robinson especially—this rating will look too low. But I can’t go higher with so many relative unknowns.
Future Outlook: Work In Progress
Ossenfort has definitely prioritized this position group in the draft, spending picks on Ojulari, Stills, Robinson, and (Xavier) Thomas in the past two years. Ojulari and Robinson look very promising and Stills acquitted himself very well for a 7th-rounder last season, but these guys are all mostly unproven and there doesn’t seem to be a long-term answer at DT on the roster presently, with Nichols and Jones both turning 28 this season. Expect DT to be near the top of Monti’s 2025 offseason wishlist.
Linebackers
Starters: Kyzir White, Mack Wilson Sr., Dennis Gardeck
In Good Shape: This position group also seems solid to me. White couldn’t quite replicate his strong play from 2022 with the Eagles in his first year in the desert, but he’s a stalwart player. Wilson was a nice under-the-radar free agent acquisition and could be the linchpin of the defense this season. And we all know about Gardeck, who plays harder than anyone and has a knack for big plays. I like what we have going here.
Depth: Krys Barnes, Owen Pappoe, Victor Dimukeje
In Good Shape: The depth also looks okay to me. Barnes actually outplayed White for most of last season and is a capable backup. Pappoe only played about 10% of the defensive snaps last season but was able to crack the lineup toward the end of the year and graded fairly well according to the usual metrics. And Dimukeje is almost like a Gardeck clone—very underrated player.
Future Outlook: Work In Progress
Simply put, we just don’t know if any of these guys are long-term starters. You can probably assume White and Barnes aren’t, and Gardeck turns 30 this season. Wilson is just 26 but hasn’t been a regular starter in a few years. Pappoe (23) and Dimukeje (24) are young but they have just 3 career starts between them. And these guys all profile as solid players—we need a true game-changer here. (And no more players without a real NFL position, please!)
Secondary
Starters: Sean Murphy-Bunting, Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Garret Williams
In Good Shape: On paper, this is an improved unit. Marco Wilson and Antonio Hamilton are out, former 2nd-rounder Murphy-Bunting and a finally healthy Williams are in at CB. Plus the heralded starting duo of Baker and Thompson at safety. Those two alone earn this group the In Good Shape designation. (Although it must be said that Budda had his worst season in several years despite the Pro Bowl berth.) Murphy-Bunting is the best CB we’ve had in a while, although this is now his third team. And whoever wins up starting on the other side between Williams and Melton should be better than Wilson and all the various rookies we threw out there last year. I don’t think our CB room will be good, necessarily, but it will be better than it was.
Depth: Max Melton, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Andre Chachere, Elijah Jones
Work In Progress: Yep, that’s three rookies and a guy we claimed on waivers last offseason. None of the other names are confidence-inspiring either—2nd-year players Kei’Trel Clark and Starling Thomas V as well as Jaden Davis, a 7th-round rookie. Things in the secondary could get rough in a hurry if one of our veterans get hurt and/or the young guys have the usual growing pains. Monti has definitely thrown resources at the CB room, but it is still, by far, the weakest unit on the team.
Future Outlook: Work In Progress
If just one of the young CBs establishes himself as a legit starter this season, the rating would probably jump up to In Good Shape. But that has to happen first. It’s entirely possible none of these guys work out—that’s life in the NFL. But you hope that one of Williams, Melton, or Jones can become at least an average starter, and maybe Taylor-Demerson is ready to step in if/when Budda declines or moves on. That’s a lot of hopes and ifs, though. Monti will likely keep adding players here next offseason.
Special Teams
Starters: Matt Prater, Blake Gillikin, Aaron Brewer, DeeJay Dallas
All Set: I won’t spend much time here—this group looks strong. Prater is as steady as they come, and Gillikin averaged over 50 yards per punt in his first season with the team. Brewer is our longtime longsnapper and Dallas is an above-average return man.
Future Outlook: Work In Progress
Gillikin and Dallas figure to be around for a while, but Prater is 39 and Brewer is 33. Monti figures to be looking for a new kicker and longsnapper sooner rather than later.
Final Thoughts
I know I rated each of the starting groups In Good Shape, but if I had to rate the defense as a whole, I’d go with Work In Progress. Yes, the unit is improved overall, but there are a LOT of new/young players and it remains to be seen how long it will take them to jell and how improved, exactly, this unit is from last year. Plus there are questions about depth and/or future outlook with every position group.
Monti did a nice job this past offseason addressing needs on both sides of the ball, but I think next offseason he’ll go heavier on defense. We desperately need a long-term answer at DT, a potential game-changer at LB, and as many defensive backs as we can get. Plus every team could use more pass rushers, right? Shouldn’t be too much trouble to address all these needs, right?
That’s all from me. Now it’s your turn. Vote in the poll below and give us your outlook on the defense in the comments. How improved—if at all—is this unit really?
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