The Arizona Cardinals are in dire need of an edge-rusher who can pose a threat to the opposition’s signal-callers in 2023.
Everyone but the Arizona Cardinals front office seemed to know that the team’s edge-rushers would be a weakness in 2022. Former general manager Steve Keim relied way too heavily on aging veteran Markus Golden to get the job done. The Cards were also gambling on the notion that outside linebackers like Dennis Gardeck and Devon Kennard would also overachieve.
Kennard is now gone, and there’s a possibility that Golden and Gardeck could also be playing elsewhere next fall. Second-year youngsters Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders showed potential at times this past season, but Arizona needs more of a sure thing in their lineup.
Acquiring someone who can record double-digit sacks from the edge should be a priority for new Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort. The following are four capable pass-rushers who the organization can pursue in 2023.
Pass rushers for Arizona Cardinals to pursue: Will Anderson Jr. – Alabama
One positive about the Arizona Cardinals finishing with an ugly 4-13 record last year is the impact-making draft choice that comes out of the disaster. That being said, Ossenfort better take advantage of the third overall pick that the franchise will get to utilize in this coming April’s draft.
University of Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr. could very be the selection when Arizona turns in the card. The 21-year-old has won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (awarded to the nation’s best defensive player) not once, but twice in his three campaigns with the Crimson Tide.
Anderson Jr. has racked up an eye-popping 34.5 sacks in the 41 matchups he competed in for Alabama. Unless Ossenfort receives an offer he can’t refuse to trade back, the 6 foot 4, 235 pound Anderson Jr. could very well be the Cards’ opening-round prize.
Yannick Ngakoue – Indianapolis Colts
We now move on to free agency, and Yannick Ngakoue could likely be the Cardinals’ top target. The 27-year-old has been moving around as of late, having played for the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings over the past three campaigns.
The 6 foot 2, 246 pound Ngakoue, however, is still a force when it comes to putting pressure on the opposition’s signal-callers. This past season, the former Jacksonville Jaguars draft choice tallied 9.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 15 starts for the Colts. In 2021, Ngakoue was credited with 10 sacks and 23 hits on the passer for the Raiders.
Ngakoue will almost certainly be pursued by several clubs when the signing period gets underway next month. The Arizona Cardinals may have to outbid the competition for his services, but the Washington, D.C. native could be well worth the investment.
Justin Houston – Baltimore Ravens
At 34 years of age, veteran Justin Houston can still terrorize the league’s signal-callers. The 6 foot 3, 270 pounder registered 9.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hits in a part-time role for the Ravens in ’22, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Over the past 12 seasons, Houston has amassed a mind-blowing 111.5 sacks in stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis and Baltimore. Back in 2014, the four-time Pro Bowler added a sensational 22 sacks to his NFL resume as a member of the Kansas City defensive unit.
The Arizona Cardinals could look to Houston as a one or two-year bridge to the future, with Thomas and Sanders developing their pass-rushing skills behind him. A mentor for that duo who could also flirt with a double-digit sack total in ’23 could be the right way to go for the Arizona braintrust.
Brandon Graham – Philadelphia Eagles
For the first time since he entered the league back in 2010, Brandon Graham recorded double-digit sacks this past season. Even more impressive is the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles defensive end was coming off of a torn Achilles’ tendon that sidelined him for 15 contests in 2021.
Graham will be gunning for the second Super Bowl ring of his career when the Eagles meet the Chiefs next Sunday at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium. It could very well be the 34-year-old’s final game with Philly, thanks to a laundry list of free agents that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will have to deal with this offseason.
Much like the situation with Houston, the Cardinals could look to Graham to fill the squad’s pass-rushing void, while up and comers like Thomas and Sanders continue to blossom. The young defenders would also benefit from learning from an experienced individual who has 70 career sacks under his belt.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)