Arizona cardinals were widely rented for the class they selected during the NFL 2025 draft.
This class was responsible for defensive players and included one of the greatest interceptions of the draft in Will Johnson.
The Director General of Arizona Cardinals, Monti Ossenfortpatrick Breen & Sol; the Republic & Sol; USA Today Network via Imagn Images
Despite the success that the cardinals have added defensive talents in this year’s draft, Pro football focus’ Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman Think that they will take another defender in the first round of the 2026 draft.
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In their way too much at the beginning of 2026, Chadwick and Wasserman predicted that the cardinals would select Miami Edge Rueben Bath Jr. with the 17th choice in the draft.
I have some problems with this choice. The first is the idea that cardinals will choose 17th in 2026.
They just chosen 16th this year and have a much better list now than last season. Their division has also weakened this offseason.
The other problem is that I do not think that we are going to consider the edge as an area of need of cardinals at that time next season.
They already have a side of the defense taken care of after having signed Josh Sweat this offseason. He is under contract for the next four years.
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The other side remains a bit of a question mark at the moment, but the team can already have its answer on the list.
The cardinals had a choice at the start of the second round on BJ Ojulari barely two years ago.
He had four bags as a recruit and flashed a certain potential before losing his second NFL season because of an injury.
If it develops in its second year of NFL action, the cardinals should not go near an edge at the start of the 2026 draft.
It is not a certainty that he will be the guy, but the possibility that he can be sufficient to make me think that the cardinals will examine a different position in the first round of the project next year.
Related: the biggest winners of the cardinals in 2025 NFL Draft
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