The 2025 NFL draft is just under a month away. The Arizona Cardinals have the 16th pick in the draft and the belief is that they will most likely select either an edge defender or an interior defensive lineman. They have upgraded at both positions in free agency, but that doesn't mean they are done.
So as the draft approaches, Cardinals fans will pay special attention to the defensive linemen and edge guys.
Draft Wire's Curt Popejoy updated his defensive prospect rankings recently.
Who are his top five edge defenders?
- Abdul Carter - Penn State
- Mykel Williams - Georgia
- James Pearce Jr. - Tennessee
- Mike Green - Marshall
- Shemar Stewart - Texas A&M
Carter is expected to be selected in the top five of the draft. After that, it is uncertain where the others could go. Any of the other four very well could be available when the Cardinals are on the clock. All four are very athletic. Green, not coming from a larger program, might not be as much on the Cardinals' radar, as general manager Monti Ossenfort has only drafted players from the Big 10 and the SEC in the first and second rounds of the two drafts he has led as GM.
Stewart is an athletic freak but never had more than 1.5 sacks in a season. Pearce led the SEC with 10 sacks in 2023 and had 7.5 last season.
Williams had 14 sacks in three seasons for Georgia.
All have ideal size and athleticism.
It is possible that all five players are selected in the first round.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Updated player rankings for top 5 edge defenders
