4 days ago
NFL LB unit rankings: Arizona Cardinals near bottom of the league
The offseason of lists and rankings continues as we wait for training camps to begin. These rankings are from PFF, lining up the linebacker units for all 32 NFL teams.
As this is one unit the Arizona Cardinals have questions in, you can imagine that they don't rank highly.
NFL linebacker rankings: Arizona Cardinals
Not only are the Cardinals not ranked highly, they come in near the bottom of the league at No. 29, with only three teams below them.
The Cardinals have invested a plethora of resources in their defense this offseason, and the linebacker position is no exception. Former Bengal Akeem Davis-Gaither arrives after posting a 59.0 PFF overall grade in Cincinnati last season. He's projected to start alongside Mack Wilson Sr., who earned a 63.8 PFF overall grade in 2024.
Veterans Owen Pappoe and Mykal Walker project as depth, along with fourth-round rookie Cody Simon, but this unit may struggle to hold things together behind what should be an improved defensive line.
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The Cardinals' linebackers don't inspire optimism outside of the building. Wilson became a starter last year after years of special teams and being a rotational player. Davis-Gaither has only 11 career starts, seven last season replacing Logan Wilson after he was injured. But Cardinals linebackers do put up numbers, and with a beefed up defensive line, maybe they don't need to be great. They just need to tackle effectively.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals LB unit ranked among worst in NFL
