Arizona Cardinals to face 2 of NFL's top OTs in 2025
As NFL training camp approaches for most NFL teams (the Los Angeles Chargers reported on Saturday), sites continue to publish lists, rankings and predictions.
ESPN has been revealing player rankings at different positions, but with a twist. They are based on the votes of coaches, scouts and executives.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler revealed the rankings for the offensive tackles— the top 10 and several honorable mentions.
Neither Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson nor right tackle Jonah Williams made the top 10 or received honorable mention, but Johnson did get votes in the top 10.
The Cardinals avoid most of the top tackles in the league in 2025. Of the top 10, they face only two, although they face two of the top four. They also will face a pair who received honorable mention
NFL top OTs: Arizona Cardinals 2025 opponents
Wirfs required offseason knee surgery and will start the season on PUP. By the time the Cardinals and Bucs play, he should be in good shape.
The Cardinals have an upgraded edge presence this year, adding Josh Sweat and getting BJ Ojulari back from a torn ACL. The combination of avoiding most of the league's top tackles and an improved pass rush should mean good things for the Cardinals in 2025.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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New York Times
15 minutes ago
- New York Times
Five unresolved questions for the Detroit Lions as training camp nears
DETROIT — It's almost time. In a matter of days, the Detroit Lions report for training camp, as rookies and vets alike gather in preparation for another much-anticipated season. In many ways, it feels like the Lions are flying under the radar — at least compared with the previous two offseasons. That happens when your coaching staff undergoes major changes, your star center retires, and you're coming off an abrupt playoff exit as a No. 1 seed. Advertisement That said, the Lions have given us little reason to doubt their process thus far, even as they enter a season with more uncertainty than years past. Let's take a look at a few unresolved questions heading into camp. It's common knowledge at this point that coach Dan Campbell's staff was raided this offseason. His offensive and defensive coordinators are now head coaches. Several assistants were poached. The continuity the Lions boasted a year ago is no more. Now, does that mean the Lions are destined to take a step back? Not necessarily. It was always going to be hard to replicate a 15-2 record — even if Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were still in town. What the Lions did despite having much of their roster on injured reserve was remarkable in hindsight. Though the record might not be as shiny, better health could lead to a longer playoff run. That's what this season is about. First-time DC Kelvin Sheppard spent the past few seasons learning from Glenn and will put his own touch on the defense. New OC John Morton is a trusted confidant of Campbell's and was here when the Lions rebuilt their offense in 2022 with Johnson. That familiarity, along with a strong roster and improved health, should be enough to win double-digit games in 2025, if the new guys are as advertised. They're entering much better situations than Glenn and Johnson did. Admittedly, we won't know the answer to this until the season unfolds, but training camp should offer a glimpse of what to expect. One of the key — and only — starting jobs up for grabs in training camp is at center. Frank Ragnow's retirement, though not entirely shocking given his health issues, is a blow to one of the league's best offensive lines. Ragnow was an All-Pro center who made a difficult job look easy. He was a master of preparation, physical in pass protection and agile in the run game. He will be missed. However, the Lions have options. Advertisement Graham Glasgow is a player the Lions know and trust. He was Ragnow's backup the last two seasons while starting at guard — on the right side in 2023 and left in 2024. Though he's coming off a poor season and turns 33 next month, you could make the argument he would provide more value at center than guard at this stage of his career. He's always been a cerebral player, and center is a cerebral position. If he's healthier than he was a year ago and kicks inside, there's a chance we see a better version of Glasgow in 2025. The Lions have been quietly investing and developing their next wave of talent along the offensive line, and that group includes rookie second-rounder Tate Ratledge. A multiyear starter and national champion at Georgia, Ratledge is a smart, mature and athletic interior lineman. When he was initially drafted, the assumption was he'd start at guard as a Kevin Zeitler replacement. But with Ragnow's retirement, the Lions immediately began cross-training Zeitler at guard and center, making him a legitimate option at the position. Though he never logged a game snap at center while at Georgia, he repped there in practice and is viewed as a quick study. If a decision were to be made today, the Lions might go with the experienced player in Glasgow, while letting Ratledge settle in at guard and cross-train behind the scenes. He could then move to center as a sophomore when he has a year under his belt. But this staff tends to let the best man win. As of now, the Lions are heading into 2025 with Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport as their starting edge rushers. Bringing back Davenport, injured after just two games in 2024, makes sense. He fits the mold of what the Lions like opposite of Hutchinson — a player who sets an edge in the run game, wins a rush and cleans stuff up when funneled his way. But it's a risky move, if nothing else is on the horizon. Davenport was available at his price tag because of his health issues. He's played just eight games over the past two seasons. If he holds up in 2025 and plays more games than he misses, it will be a huge win for general manager Brad Holmes and company. But it's asking a lot of a player with Davenport's track record. The Lions acquired Za'Darius Smith at the trade deadline a year ago, and he remains unsigned heading into training camp. Holmes said months ago that the two sides haven't closed the door on a possible return. 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Christian Mahogany is expected to become a full-time starter at guard in 2025, for the first time in his career. The 2024 sixth-round pick was viewed as NFL-ready coming out of college but missed much of his first offseason recovering from mono. He eventually returned, though, and filled in admirably as a spot-starter. He flashed enough to feel good about him, and if Mahogany turns his 2024 bright spots into quality play over a full season, the Lions will have an inexpensive starting guard for the next three seasons. That's valuable, particularly as Detroit shells out big-money extensions to core players. How much better can Jack Campbell be? After moving around as a rookie, he settled in at middle linebacker this past season and showed notable growth. He was a constant in the heart of Detroit's defense and was the only linebacker to avoid the injury bug. 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New York Times
15 minutes ago
- New York Times
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If (or when) Diggs gets healthy, Maye will suddenly have the best receiver he's ever worked with, a veteran with a decade of NFL experience who can help Maye if the offense experiences some bumps early in the season. But it remains unclear how much Diggs will be able to practice in training camp. And if he can't, that will slow down the chemistry-building process between Maye and his most important target. Advertisement All the potential the Patriots fell in love with during the pre-draft process a year ago was on display at various points last season. The arm strength. The scrambling. The command of the locker room. Maye showed all of that — albeit in spurts — as a rookie. Now, even if this offense isn't likely to reach top-15 status in the NFL, the players around Maye couldn't be much worse than they were last season. Every area should be better: the running backs, offensive line, wide receivers and coaching. All of it. Combine all of that with the natural progression that often comes for NFL quarterbacks between Years 1 and 2, and it wouldn't be a shock if Maye is a fringe top-10 quarterback this season. The turnovers are a real concern. Even if they weren't all his fault, Maye ranked 22nd out of 25 qualifying quarterbacks in turnover-worthy throw percentage last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He must be better in that area to reach his potential. The Patriots believe he will be, especially if he doesn't have to force as many throws as he did (given the receiving situation and play calling), but he has to prove it. Maye also needs to improve at protecting himself. It's admirable that he's willing to take a hit to pick up extra yards for his team, but at times, he's too careless. That is why Vrabel's early message about needing Maye to be 'aggressive but not reckless' is the most important aspect of the quarterback's game this season.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ranking the Steelers 5 most important 2026 free agents
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