The Arizona Cardinals finalized their initial 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's deadline. One roster cut was outside linebacker BJ Ojulari, a former second-round draft pick in 2023.
Unfortunately, the LSU product hasn't been able to produce relative to draft expectations, never fully looking the part after suffering a significant knee injury in 2024. The fact that Arizona, a rebuilding team, has already moved on from a second-round draft investment who is just 24 years old officially elevates Ojulari into bust status.
Cardinals missed on their BJ Ojulari draft pick
Though Ojulari did record 1.5 sacks in the Cardinals' preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers, it was Eku Leota who outplayed him for the majority of preseason -- and deservedly earned a spot ahead of Ojulari on Arizona's 53-man roster.
As Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic pointed out, these cuts by the Cardinals are a poor reflection of Monti Ossenfort's draft record.
It wasn't just second-rounder Ojulari that the Cardinals already admitted defeat on either. They also waived cornerback Elijah Jones, a former third-round selection in 2024.
Mackie adds that these player-evaluation flaws extend beyond draft decisions, highlighting the decision to move on from Sean Murphy-Bunting.
The Cardinals are patiently rebuilding, zigging while the rest of the stacked NFC West zags. But for that timeline to work, they have to hit on these crucial draft picks.
Part of the disappointment surrounding players like Ojulari can be attributed to injury, but these are still picks the Cardinals need to hit. Not to say every pick needs to be a home run, but the fact that Ojulari can't even contribute enough to justify keeping around as a depth piece is telling about how bad they whiffed on this pick.
At least the Cardinals have Leota around to fill the void in 2026, but this linebacker unit will still need to be upgraded.
Josh Sweat has been activated off the PUP list. He won't have to miss the first four weeks of the season for Arizona, which also bodes well for his Week 1 chances. But even if Sweat is healthy and continues to survive trade rumors, this is a unit that the Cardinals need to address regardless.
PFF has the Cardinals linebacker unit ranked 30th heading into the 2026 season, ahead of only the Bengals and Colts.
That's what happens when you're already cutting a second-round investment at the position just a few years later.
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