It’s no secret that the Arizona Cardinals needed to upgrade their defensive front. According to Pro Football Focus Analyst Max Chadwick, Arizona had the fifth-lowest-graded defensive line in the NFL last year.
This offseason, the Arizona Cardinals have bolstered their defensive line, spending over $110 million at the position. Let’s take a look at the Cardinals’ newest additions.
Josh Sweat
Arizona made a splash during free agency, signing defensive end Josh Sweat to a four-year, $76.4 million contract. He reunites with his former defensive coordinator, Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon. In his two seasons with Gannon, Sweat recorded 18.5 sacks, 50 solo tackles, and 22 tackles for loss. Sweat had his most productive years with Gannon in Philadelphia, which included a Pro Bowl appearance in 2021.
Josh Sweat led the Eagles with eight sacks during the 2024 regular season. He had a strong performance in Super Bowl LIX, recording six pressures and a career-high 2.5 sacks, per Next Gen Stats. “I wanted to take my career to the next level and be seen as the guy who can make a difference,” Sweat said during his introductory press conference back in March. The Cardinals’ new addition will have every opportunity to make his presence felt in 2025.
Calais Campbell
The veteran defensive lineman returns home for his 18th season. Arizona drafted Calais Campbell in the 2nd round, 50th overall, in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played his first nine seasons with the Cardinals. Campbell is currently 4th on the Cardinals’ all-time sacks list with 56.5 sacks.
Last season, Campbell appeared in all 17 games with the Miami Dolphins, recording 39 solo tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks. Calais Campbell posted an elite PFF run defense grade of 85.9, which ranked 1st in the NFL among interior defenders. The Cardinals surrendered 2,149 yards on the ground last year, ranking 20th in the league. The addition of Calais Campbell should improve that mark this season.
Dalvin Tomlinson
After two seasons of solid play, the Cleveland Browns released Dalvin Tomlinson in the middle of his lucrative four-year contract to create cap space. The veteran defensive tackle didn’t take long to find a new team, as the Arizona Cardinals quickly signed him to a two-year, $29 million contract, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Tomlinson has played in 32 games over the past two seasons, recording six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. According to Pro Football Focus, his 36 pressures last season ranked 26th among interior defensive linemen. In 2024, the Arizona Cardinals did not have an interior defender reach 30 pressures. The 6-foot-3, 325-pound defensive tackle will provide a much-needed upgrade to the Cardinals’ defensive line.
Walter Nolen III
The Arizona Cardinals selected Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen III with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort described the defensive tackle as a “violent, disruptive, high motor, tenacious, three-down player.”
“It is hard to find those guys that can affect the pocket from the interior of the formation,” Ossenfort said to the media following the first round of the NFL Draft. Nolen’s 91.6 PFF run defense grade ranked second in the FBS, only behind Cleveland Browns DT Mason Graham, who was selected 5th overall.
“We’ve talked about it a lot. We wanted to have a more disruptive defensive unit. We think we’ve added players that can help us do that. When we find players that can affect the middle of the pocket, it puts a lot of stress on the offense. Walter is another guy that we think can help us do that. We are really excited to add him to our team.” Ossenfort said to the media.
“This guy is a cardinal 1000 percent, so I’m glad we got to add him,” Head Coach Jonathan Gannon said. “Turn on the tape.”
Jordan Burch
Jordan Burch is a 2025 third-round pick from the University of Oregon. The 23-year-old 6-foot-6 pass rusher earned an 83.9 PFF pass rush grade, which ranked 47th among all FBS edge players. “Size, length, power, ability to collapse the pocket,” Ossenfort said after day two of the NFL Draft. “He (Burch) brings a unique skill set for a guy who is his size and length.”
Elijah Simmons
An undrafted free agent rookie from the University of Tennessee, Elijah Simmons, will compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. He posted a solid PFF run defense grade of 76.9 last year.
“(Simmons) is getting a lot of reps in all the different groups, but he’s getting a lot of reps with the ones. As an undrafted free agent rookie, that’s rare.” Calais Campbell said of the stout 6-foot-1, 334-pound defensive lineman.
“He’s a big, strong guy, I’m sure he bench-presses over 500 pounds. But he works hard. It’s hard to get good information this early, but he hasn’t messed up much. He’s locked in, focused, and eager for the opportunity.” Campbell said on the final day of mandatory minicamp.
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