The Arizona Cardinals' 2025 season was filled with flaws, but to many’s surprise, it was not because of the play on offense.
Despite having a backup under center for the majority of the season, Jacoby Brissett didn’t play badly by any means; in fact, he actually unlocked the passing offense and took it to feats that not many expected. For instance, Michael Wilson passed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his young career. On top of that, Trey McBride put up the best season out of any tight in the league, hauling in 126 catchs for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns.
This is only one aspect of the Arizona Cardinals as a whole, and it is safe to say that the defensive side of the ball did not hold up as well as the offense. Sure, Arizona saw rookies such as Cody Simon, Will Johnson, and Walter Nolen III break out despite not playing full seasons, but there are definitely ways to improve the unit.
The Cardinals hold onto the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and while they are more than likely to take one of the top offensive line prospects in Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano, it woule be intriguing to see if Monti Ossenfort and the front office go a different direction.
Could they go defense? Or even more crazy, could they trade down?
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Imagine if Ossenfort were to trade down and pair one of his standout rookies with his former college counterpart?
Cody Simon appeared in 16 games for the Cardinals and finished with 76 tackles (30 solo). His former Natioal Championship winning teammate, Sonny Styles, mightily improved his draft stock with an amazing combine.
All we’re saying is, what if the Cardinals traded back eight to ten picks and selected Styles, and paired up one of their cornerstones with his running mate from 2024?