The Arizona Cardinals are looking forward to the upcoming season with hopes of making the playoffs after falling just short last year. The Cardinals have a favorable schedule, one of the easiest in the entire NFL. In fact, the combined winning percentage of their opponents is just .457.
“The combined record for the following opponents was 132-157 last year, 27th in the NFL in terms of strength of schedule in 2025. The Cardinals are tied with the Carolina Panthers with a .457 winning percentage for their opponents next year,” Tanner Tortorella wrote.
While that is a positive, the Cardinals also focused on bolstering their defense during the NFL Draft, starting with defensive lineman Walter Nolen. Nolen is expected to be a big part of Arizona’s future, but his role this season remains uncertain.
“The Cardinals took Nolen with the 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, and he was selected to be a mainstay of the Cardinals defensive line for years to come. How much playing time he gets this year could be determined by how much Campbell still has in the tank and how much the rookie can impress his coaches in camp,” Kyler Burd wrote.
The Cardinals then added what could be the steal of the draft in Will Johnson. With the injury to Sean Murphy-Bunting, Johnson could see starting time in his rookie season.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton urges the Cardinals to sign veteran safety Justin Simmons.
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“Arizona has Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson entrenched in starting safety roles, but neither of the two recorded an interception last season. The Cardinals need to force more turnovers. In 2024, they tied for 20th in takeaways. Simmons has 32 career interceptions in nine seasons. He can help Arizona with game-changing plays in coverage,” Moton wrote.
Simmons even picked off Patrick Mahomes last season. The safety is a game-changer and would significantly help the Cardinals. Arizona could also sign him to a team-friendly contract.
