The Arizona Cardinals are already in the third year of the Monti Ossenfort/Jonathan Gannon era, but remnants of the past regime still characterize a large portion of the roster. Linebacker Zaven Collins is one of the main examples.
Collins has generally held a starting job with the Cardinals since he was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. As Arizona moves toward training camp, Collins may be losing his spot atop the depth chart.
Cardinals LB Zaven Collins could lose his starting job
Zaven Collins was a classic Steve Keim pick. The former Cardinals general manager loved to draft uber-athletic players who could fill multiple roles. Collins was a raw prospect coming out of Tulsa, but his athletic versatility made him a first-round player, at least in the eyes of the Cardinals.
In his rookie year, Collins played mostly as an off-ball linebacker. His deficiencies in coverage quickly moved him to the edge, where he has played for the past three seasons. Collins has been a productive edge rusher for the Cardinals, even leading the team in sacks in 2024.
But his time as a starter in Arizona may be coming to an end.
Arizona's defense was one of the worst in the NFL last season. Upon looking closely at some underlying statistics, it becomes clear that the defensive line was the main culprit. The Cardinals ranked 31st in the NFL in defensive success rate in likely passing situations.
Translation: they couldn't get after the quarterback, even when they knew what was coming.
The Cardinals have made their primary focus this offseason rebuilding the defensive front. They signed Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Calais Campbell in free agency, then doubled down by drafting Walter Nolen and Jordan Burch early.
While the Cardinals still lack a premier pass-rushing threat, they have considerable depth on the edge. Along with Josh Sweat and Jordan Burch, Baron Browning and B.J. Ojulari will compete for playing time.
As the defensive roster continues to be revamped, established starters like Zaven Collins are not so secure in their positions.
Collins has been a useful starter for the Cardinals for years, but the current regime has no investment in him. He was drafted by former general manager Steve Keim and former head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Conversely, all four of the Cardinals' other top edge rushers were either signed or drafted by the current regime.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon may look to one of his younger players for more production in the upcoming season. Baron Browning has shown promise since being traded to Arizona in the middle of last season, and B.J. Ojulari should be healthy to start the year.
When training camp kicks off at the end of July, this will be a key position battle to watch for the Arizona Cardinals.