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The Arizona Cardinals have spent the better part of two years building out a new identity under head coach Jonathan Gannon. Discipline, energy, and culture have been his rallying cries. Now, in Year 3, the Cardinals are going all-in. From the moment this offseason began, Arizona attacked its defensive line with urgency and purpose. They are determined to turn a weakness into a strength. However, as the team assembles for 2025 training camp, the central question remains: have they done enough to turn this roster into a true contender?
A Camp Loaded with Optimism
This offseason, the Cardinals made a clear statement: build the wall up front. They invested heavily in the defensive line. Arizona used a first-round pick on Walter Nolen III and signed proven veterans Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson. They also brought back franchise favorite Calais Campbell. General manager Monti Ossenfort focused on fortifying the defense but left the offense mostly untouched. He was willing to wager on continuity. In essence, the Cardinals are betting on another year of growth from stars like Marvin Harrison Jr, tight end Trey McBride, and running back James Conner. They hope this will give Kyler Murray the stability he needs to push Arizona back into the postseason for just the second time in seven years.
For a fan base desperate for relevance, training camp now becomes the proving ground. Will the mix of defensive upgrades and offensive familiarity finally be enough to turn the Cardinals from a rebuilding project into a legitimate contender? It's possible, but there might be one chink in their armor.
Here we'll try to look at the fatal flaw that the Arizona Cardinals must address in their 2025 NFL training camp.
The Achilles’ Heel
If there’s one position group that stands out as a concern, it’s not the revamped defensive line or the dynamic pass-catching group. It’s the linebackers.
Recall that Kyzir White was second among all Arizona defenders in snaps played last year (93.65 percent). He was not re-signed, though. His departure leaves a hole in the middle of the defense. It's one that the Cardinals have attempted to fill with journeymen and a rookie. As a result, the linebacking corps feels like a weak link on a roster otherwise trending upward. Note that this unit is often tasked with cleaning up the mess when the defensive front doesn’t get home.
Who Steps Into the Void?
At the moment, the Cardinals are leaning on Mack Wilson Sr and Akeem Davis-Gaither to anchor the middle.
Wilson enters his seventh season and second with Arizona. He is a solid but unspectacular presence. In 2024, he appeared in all 16 games, registering 75 total tackles and three sacks. Yes, he graded in the middle of the pack by Pro Football Focus standards. That said, his availability has been a key asset throughout his career.
Davis-Gaither, meanwhile, comes over from Cincinnati. That's where he posted the best numbers of his five-year career last season with 82 total tackles in 17 games. While steady, he hasn’t yet proven he can be a consistent difference-maker in the middle of a defense.
The two veterans will be pushed by rookie fourth-rounder Cody Simon. He is viewed as a developmental piece with range and toughness but faces a steep learning curve as he transitions to NFL speed.
A Strength Up Front, but a Question Behind
Again, the Cardinals’ defensive line has undergone a dramatic transformation. With Walter Nolen III headlining a group that also features Sweat, Tomlinson, and Campbell, Arizona suddenly has the muscle to collapse pockets and clog lanes.
The off-ball linebackers, though, will be the ones asked to capitalize on that chaos. If Wilson, Davis-Gaither, and Simon can’t keep up with the speed and versatility of today’s NFL offenses, Arizona risks giving up chunk plays over the middle. That's a problem that haunted them in 2024. That's a potentially crucial imbalance.
Can the Front Seven Elevate the Linebackers?
There is optimism that the improved defensive line will make life easier for the linebackers by drawing double-teams and collapsing the pocket more consistently. If that’s the case, the middle of the field could become far less of a liability.
However, this remains a gamble. In the NFC West, a mediocre group in the middle could undo much of the progress Arizona has made. Note that teams like the 49ers and Rams excel at exploiting mismatches against linebackers,
Arizona has made major strides under Gannon, but the clock is ticking. For the Cardinals to take the next step in 2025, the linebacker unit must surprise in the best way possible. Otherwise, a team with playoff aspirations could once again find itself undone by the very middle of its defense.
