The Arizona Cardinals had one of the worst defensive units in the NFL in 2019. They were bad against the run and absolutely atrocious against the pass. Had their defense been able to get one stop late in three games with a lead last year, the Cardinals would have been 8-8.
They added three starters in free agency and four rookies in the NFL draft. How much better can they be?
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar ranked all the NFL defenses heading into 2020. The Cardinals move up in rankings but do not crack the top 20. They rank 23rd.
At the same time Kyler Murray gained a hold on the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Arizona’s defense kept making every quarterback it faced look like the Offensive Player of the Year. Everybody struggled in coverage, and the Cardinals allowed the NFL’s most yards after catch (2,249) and the 10th-most air yards (2,523). Only the Dolphins allowed more passing touchdowns than Arizona’s 38, and the only thing that saved this defense was a half-decent plan against the run. First-round defender Isaiah Simmons will help with his unrivaled versatility, but young defenders like cornerback Byron Murphy and safety Budda Baker will have to improve their pass coverage profiled quickly if the Cardinals are to compete for the postseason anytime soon.
The Cardinals were ravaged by injuries on the defensive line. They signed Jordan Phillips, drafted two players and bring back their young players.
The linebacking corps are significantly better with the additions of Devon Kennard, De’Vondre Campbell and Isaiah Simmons.
The secondary is unchanged in personnel, but they will have their top two cornerbacks — Patrick Peterson and Robert Alford — for the full season.
They have to be better. The question is how much better.
If the offense is a top-10 unit as they are projected and the defense can approach being a top-20 unit, they will be in the mix for the postseason.
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Ep. 267
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Ep. 266
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