Heading into the 2024 NFL season, Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker was ranked by his peers as the 89th best player in the National Football League. At face value, it seemed like a fair evaluation of a player who had played only 12 games the year prior and would be entering his eighth season in the NFL. But the 2024 campaign served as a reintroduction of sorts for the Cards veteran.
At season’s end, Budda Baker ranked second in the NFL in total tackles. He established himself as a true queen on the chessboard presence for defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, capable of being moved around all over the field. Line Baker up in the box, in the slot, deep in the secondary or right on the line of scrimmage, and chances are he’s going to find a way to make a play.
For good reason, after reminding the NFL that this is what he’s capable of, the longtime Cardinal soared up the rankings in the annual NFL Top 100 poll, settling in at #34, the second-highest ranking of his career.
Players Around the League Heap Unconventional Praise for Budda Baker
Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch claims that he’s never seen someone play the box like Budda Baker, and that certainly checks out if you look at the numbers. Baker has topped 100 tackles in five of his eight seasons, and hasn’t dipped below 80 since his rookie year. Among all active players in the NFL, he ranks 10th in total tackles over the course of his career, a total that he’ll certainly add to plenty this coming season.
“He’s a guy who is the heart and soul of our defense,” Cardinals tight end Trey McBride — who also appeared in the 2025 NFL Top 100 at #65 — said of Budda Baker. “He’s a psycho, man. He just hits everything.”
‘Psycho’ is not always an endearing term to hear about yourself, but in this case, it’s the ultimate compliment that could be paid to someone who plays the game of football like Budda Baker does. As Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox put it, “he’s not the biggest guy on the field, but the way he plays, it’s as if he’s the biggest guy on the field.”
And hey, speaking of a not-so-endearing terms, Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams, who sees Baker twice a year in NFC West divisional play, referred to the Cards safety as “a motherf—– to game plan against.” Again, expletive be damned, that’s a tremendous compliment.
Being Beloved in Arizona is Biggest Compliment for Budda Baker
After nearly a decade within the Arizona Cardinals organization, it’s fair to say that Budda Baker has gained his fair share of supporters in the city and in the locker room. Known for being someone who prides himself on remaining a lifelong Cardinal, Baker is beloved in the city of Phoenix, and regularly goes out of the way to make the fans happy.
Budda Baker is just as appreciated in the Cardinals locker room. Young teammate Darius Robinson provided this glowing endorsement of his well-respected teammate last December, when Baker was announced as one of the eight nominees for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
“He’s the best player, leader, teammate,” Robinson said. “If I could be anybody, I would want to be Budda just because of how he plays the game, how he treats people. He’s the standard of what an Arizona Cardinal should be.”
And as his 2025 ranking states, Budda Baker is the standard of what the anchor of an NFL defense should be as well.
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