The Arizona Cardinals cut down their roster to 53 on Sunday, though that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the same group to start the season in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Next on the agenda is waivers, where the rebuilding Cardinals fortunately are in a prime position thanks to last season's struggles. This year's NFL waiver order matches the 2026 NFL Draft order, meaning Arizona will hold the No. 3 position behind only the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets.
Cardinals should use waiver on defensive front
While there were a few intriuging offensive playmakers cut around the league, preseason has shown how desperately Arizona needs to address the defensive side of the ball. In particular, they need to bolster the defensive front by adding more depth at edge rusher and defensive tackle.
As previously mentioned, plenty can change between now and Arizona's September 13th season opener. But as currently constructed, their initial 53-man roster has six defensive linemen: Walter Nolen III, Darius Robinson, Roy Lopez, Andrew Billings, L.J. Collier, and Dante Stills.
Not only is it thin, but there's a lot of question marks in that group in terms of health, consistency, and untapped potential.
Who could the Cardinals potentially bring in?
The Los Angeles Rams released rookie Darryl Peterson III, who had a solid preseason and could be a good fit for this timeline.
Tampa Bay is also a good place for Arizona to look, as the Buccaneers move on from Jack Pyburn, who recorded four preseason sacks, and Chris Braswell, a former second-round pick.
Other names the Cardinals could consider include Baltimore's Adisa Isaac and New England's Bradyn Swinson.
While it remains to be seen who, if any, of these specific players the Cardinals would have interest in, the positions to target are clear.
That was one of the downsides of the Cardinals deciding to be one of the only teams to roster seven wide receivers: the opportunity cost of positions they could've addressed, or the depth they could've added at other positions of need. They seemed to value versatility in terms of players like Simi Fehoko who are capable of contributing on special teams as well.
Still, the importance of depth on the defensive front can't be overstated. Players are frequently rotating to keep legs fresh, and Arizona needs to be confident they aren't missing a beat when these depth pieces spell the starters.
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