There is a saying in the NFL: Build from the lines out.
The Arizona Cardinals need help on the offensive and defensive lines. They own the third pick in this year’s first round of the NFL draft, and with that selection will either take an offensive tackle or an EDGE rusher. That’s a pretty safe bet.
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This past NFL season, the Cardinals ranked #27 in the league in defense. Break that down into the #24 passing defense and the #25 rushing defense. Any way you look at it, the results weren’t good. Safety Budda Baker, DT Calais Campbell, and DE Josh Sweat were the most productive, and Campbell is now a free agent and may or may not return.
Opposite Sweat was Darius Robinson, who was taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft at pick #27. Does he play like a first-round draft pick? This past season, he had 43 total tackles, 5 pressures, and a single sack. He only played 507 snaps, which is 50% of all defensive plays. So, he is playing only half the time, which should explain why his stats are so pedestrian.
Behind Sweat and Robinson are Jordan Burch and Dante Stills. Last year was Burch’s rookie season after being taken in the third round, and he had 23 tackles, 8 pressures, and 1 sack. Stills was taken in Round 6 in the 2023 draft and has played well at times, and in other games, is invisible. This year, he had 34 tackles with 8 pressures and 0 sacks.
Sweat came to Arizona via free agency and proved his worth on that fat contract. He had 12 sacks, 17 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, 28 pressures, 9 hurries, and 7 knockdowns.
The Cardinals need another productive body to bookend Sweat. During free agency, sign a guy who will get after it and enhance this defense. Somebody that won’t come cheap, but everyone will be talking about that pass-rushing tandem Arizona has.
In free agency, the best EDGE rusher available is Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals. He will command $21 million a year. If the Cardinals can afford that, then jump all over this freak of a pass rusher.
If not, the #4 EDGE rusher is the ultra-productive K’Lavon Chaisson, who has a very good PFF rating and is still a young man. And yes, he won’t be cheap either.
EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson
New England Patriots
PFF ranking: 73.7
NFL draft: 2020 Round 1, pick #20 (Jaguars)
Accolades: First Team All-SEC (2019), National Champion (2019)
2025 season: 16 starts, 31 tackles, 18 QB hits, 7.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, 7 batted passes, 23 pressures, 6 hurries, 9 knockdowns, 6 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 touchdown, 2 batted passes, 4 missed tackles, 33 receptions allowed, 639 defensive snaps (67%), 108 special teams snaps (26%)
Chaisson isn’t built like a lot of EDGE rushers who weigh around 280 pounds, but he has very good speed and is quick right off the snap. Signing him would help revitalize the Cardinals’ pass rush.
He is good on kickoff teams as well, so he comes with special teams value. Great inside move that gets him into the backfield.
Explosiveness would be a good word to describe him. Chaisson uses his linear speed and change of direction. This trait permits him to also be a potent stunt rusher and turn to a pursuit defender very quickly. Good run stopper. He can keep his feet moving while engaged and wrapping up runners.
Chaisson’s negatives are that he can struggle to shed blocks on occasion, depending on the offensive tackle. He is a good tackler, but will miss sporadically, but had just four missed tackles this past season. He has good athletic skills and the speed needed to recover.
He was paid just $3 million on a one-year deal with the Patriots, but with his good production in 2025 with 7.5 sacks, 18 QB hits, and 23 pressures, his income is about to rise.