New-look OLB room for Arizona Cardinals has solid sack potential
In 2024, the Arizona Cardinals got a total of 16.5 sacks from their entire group of outside linebackers. Zaven Collins led the way with five. Dennis Gardeck and Jesse Luketa had three each. Xavier Thomas had 2.5. Baron Browning had two and Julian Okwara had one. BJ Ojulari missed the entire season with a torn ACL and Victor Dimukeje didn't have any.
So that was 16.5 sacks between six players.
The sack production should go up quite a bit.
The Cardinals will have Collins back. Josh Sweat was signed to a four-year contract. Browning was re-signed. Ojulari will return from his knee injury. Thomas will be the fifth guy in the rotation.
Even with modest projections, the Cardinals should see a jump in production.
How many sacks can we expect?
- Sweat had eight last season. If he doesn't get eight, that would be disappointing. So let's project a low sack total of eight.
- Ojulari is potentially a guy who could get to double digits entering Year 3. That said, let's shoot for six to eight.
- Collins can get five again this season.
- Browning has had five before and had two in half a season. Plug him in for about five.
If Sweat has eight, Ojulari has six and both Collins and Browning have five each, that is 24 sacks from just four outside linebackers.
That is significantly better than 16.5 between six players. Now if we keep the Collins and Browning projections the same, push Sweat to 10 and Ojulari to eight, and then include four for Thomas, the Cardinals get 32 from five players.
Who would like to sign up for that?
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: New-look OLB room for Arizona Cardinals has solid sack potential
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