Cardinals' Draft Shock: Love Over Pass Rush

0:00It's April 29, I'm Cory with the story, and this is NFL News Today, football news powered by AI. Arizona Cardinals headed into the NFL draft needing help on the offensive line in Pass Rush, but General Manager Monty Austin Ford shocked everyone by, picking Notre Dame running back, Jeremiah Love, overall. They beefed up the old line in free agency already, yet skipped the stacked edge rusher class to grab a back instead. Their pass rush was straight trash last season, scraping just 36, good for 29th in the league, with a weak pressure rate and hurry. Numbers 2. Almost all those sacks came from edge Josh Sweat and vet Kalei Campbell, but Campbell is 39 now, and not coming back on his one year deal. Fans and analysts are ripping Austin Ford for not fixing the defense sooner, waiting to the fourth round for southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle. Kalei Proctor and 6 for Iowa linebacker Carson Sherar, solid picks, sure, but nowhere near enough to turn around that unit.

1:01Proctor could be a beast though, with 39 pressures as an interior guy and a top pass rush grade from pro football focus, even at 6 foot 3, 280. Problem is the 3-4 scheme under coordinator Nick Rallis stacks the same spot as last year's first rounder Walter Nolan and Darius Robinson, flopped hard with just one sack. Draftgrades came in solid overall, but that pass rush hole looms large, heading into 2026 Austin Ford's bedding big on young guys breaking out to save the day.