As the league moves toward another season of roster resets, national evaluators have slotted the Arizona Cardinals near the bottom of the NFL when it comes to defense. In a recent ranking of all 32 NFL defenses, the Cardinals were placed 30th, a standing that follows a 2025 campaign in which Arizona finished among the league’s bottom six in both scoring defense and total defense. The same ranking held up other teams that ascended after strong 2025 showings — the Seahawks, Texans and Broncos were highlighted near the top — and noted the Rams’ jump to fourth place following their blockbuster acquisition of Myles Garrett.
The write-up accompanying that ranking argued Arizona’s defensive struggles last season were driven in part by ill-timed injuries and other short-term health setbacks that prevented the unit from coalescing. “A series of short-term health setbacks denied Arizona's defense any chance at coming together in 2025,” the analysis said, and added that continuity could come if the team avoids similar misfortune while retaining the coaching framework in place. The piece also criticized the Cardinals’ player acquisition approach, saying the team “didn't bring aboard any true difference-makers in free agency before ignoring that side of the ball through the first two days of the draft,” and concluded that the franchise appears to be stalled in a holding pattern with its defense likely to remain in limbo unless significant changes are made.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, speaking with reporters for the first time since February, did not dispute the blunt assessment of last season’s performance. “It was bad ball,” Rallis said, acknowledging the unit’s failures on the field. Still, he pointed to areas where the staff has tried to address shortcomings, emphasizing the value of added coaching experience. During the offseason the team brought in several veteran defensive minds: former NFL defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was added as a special assistant, former college defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski was hired to coach the defensive line, and former Chiefs assistant Rod Wilson joined as the linebackers coach. Rallis credited those hires with bringing new perspectives on scheme and technique and said their input has been “a huge part of moving this thing forward.”
Cardinals defender reaches to pressure the Falcons' quarterback as the ball leaves the passer's hand — a game-day moment that underscores the pass-rush issues tied to Arizona's low defensive ranking.
From a personnel standpoint, however, there are clear reasons for skepticism about a rapid turnaround. The Cardinals lost veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell and safety Jalen Thompson in free agency, and nickel cornerback Garrett Williams is facing a lengthy recovery from a torn Achilles sustained in 2025. The roster moves made in free agency and during the early rounds of the draft did not produce an obvious immediate upgrade to the starting defense; the team did not add a single player projected to start, according to the ranking’s evaluation. That combination of departures, injury recoveries and a lack of new proven starters places more pressure on internal development to produce meaningful improvement.
Cardinals player wearing practice jersey No. 55 smiles during a training session — a practice-side snapshot as the team faces criticism after being ranked among the NFL's worst defenses.
With veteran additions limited and veterans lost, the onus will fall heavily on several younger defenders to take the next step if the unit is to climb out of the league’s lower tier. Names singled out as internal candidates for growth include Darius Robinson, Jordan Burch, Cody Simon and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. The ranking suggested that without tangible development from those players, and without improved health across the roster, the Cardinals’ defense is likely to remain around the same level in other upcoming lists and national assessments.
Rallis framed the offseason as an opportunity to build toward consistency rather than to paper over roster gaps with splashy acquisitions. He emphasized that the coaching staff does not possess all the answers and welcomed the detailed, schematic and technical viewpoints brought in by the new assistant coaches. That emphasis on coaching continuity — head coach Mike LaFleur retaining Rallis to run the defense — was noted as a potential stabilizing factor that could help if the unit is able to stay healthy and if young players can close the gap to starter-level production.
Until those pieces come together on the field, the Cardinals’ defensive label is likely to follow them. The recent national ranking placed Arizona among the league’s weakest defenses based on 2025 results, cited health issues and questioned front-office investment on that side of the ball, and projected little immediate relief absent either a swing in available personnel or an accelerated development timeline for the young players already on the roster. The team’s offseason coaching additions offer a change in approach and fresh expertise; what remains to be seen is whether that change will translate into on-field improvement once the regular season begins.