Consistent production on the defensive line was hard to come by for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024, and the team made sure to invest heavily in the group to turn things around for this season.
Five new players were brought in to bolster the front of the Cardinals’ defense this offseason, with four returning members of last year’s unit looking to play a full season after shortened seasons due to injury in 2024.
Zaven Collins led Arizona with five sacks last year, out of a total of 41 as a team. The sack numbers were spread out among all three levels of defenders, showcasing defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ success with scheming up pressure.
The Cardinals finished 2024 with the sixth-worst pressure rate in the league at 19.2 percent, and didn’t have a single player within the top 100 across the NFL in total pressures.
A big reason for the team’s struggle up front was due to a constant rotation, with multiple injuries up front, leaving Collins and L.J. Collier as the only defensive linemen to play more than 50 percent of the total defensive snaps.
The Cardinals Return Four Important Pieces Who Missed Out on Parts of 2024
BJ Ojulari enters his third season in the NFL after missing all of the 2024 campaign with a torn ACL he suffered during training camp. The 23-year-old tallied four sacks and 40 total tackles in his rookie season back in 2023.
Although head coach Jonathan Gannon hasn’t committed to Ojulari being ready for Week 1 of the regular season, the former second-round pick is sure to make an impact upon his return.
Darius Robinson was ‘never healthy’ during his rookie season in Arizona, missing 11 games with a calf injury, and being negatively affected throughout the games that he did suit up for.
The 2024 first-round pick finished his final year of college with the Missouri Tigers with 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss, proving he can make a big impact from the interior.
Justin Jones signed a three-year $30 million contract with the Cardinals before the 2024 season, but only appeared in three games before a torn triceps ended his season. The 28-year-old finished 2023 with a career high 4.5 sacks for the Chicago Bears.
Bilal Nichols also signed a three-year deal of his own in 2024, making $21 million for himself. A neck injury in Week 6 caused him to miss the remainder of the year. The eight-year veteran has 14 career sacks, along with 27 TFLs.
Arizona Added Five Players up Front Through Both Free Agency and the Draft
GettyThe Cardinals’ defensive line looks almost entirely different from 2024
Josh Sweat was brought in to lead the Cardinals’ new-look pass rush, earning a four-year $76 million contract in free agency. Across his seven years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sweat tallied 43 sacks and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021.
Dalvin Tomlinson inked a two-year, $29 million contract this offseason to headline the interior of the defensive line. The 31-year-old has 342 total tackles and 19 sacks through the first eight years of his career.
Calais Campbell enters his 18th NFL season with an impressive resume, including 110.5 sacks, six Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro, along with being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team. The 38-year-old agreed on a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Arizona.
With the 16th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected defensive tackle Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss. The 21-year-old was an All-American in 2024, finishing the year with 6.5 sacks and 48 total tackles.
Jordan Burch was the team’s final addition, being picked in the third round of this year’s draft out of Oregon to rush off the edge. The 23-year-old tallied 8.5 sacks in his final year of college in 2024.
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