What will Cardinals do at pass rusher following BJ Ojulari injury?

GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals on Friday suffered a serious blow defensively with the loss of second-year pass rusher BJ Ojulari to a reported torn ACL.

Consistently earning first-team reps after making a noticeable jump this offseason, all signs pointed to Ojulari commanding a starting role come Week 1.

Now with that thought firmly out the window in 2024, general manager Monti Ossenfort, head coach Jonathan Gannon and the rest of Arizona’s coaching staff are left to pick up pieces at a position that didn’t see a massive revamp like other spots on the roster.

But as Gannon said on Saturday, “the sun’s up now and we gotta go to work.”

A look at the paths Ossenfort and Co. could take following Ojulari’s season-ending knee injury:

In-house options

The Cardinals did little in adding to the outside linebackers room this offseason. Some of that could have been the free-agent market. Confidence in the guys already on the roster was likely a factor, as well.

The latter thought was made even more apparent with the two-year contract extension pass rusher Zaven Collins inked ahead of Friday’s Red & White Practice.

Ossenfort had said months ago he would like to keep Collins around after deciding against picking up the inside-turned-outside linebacker’s fifth-year option. And while the timing of the extension coincides with Ojulari going down for the year, Ossenfort was true on his word and had been working with Collins’ camp on a new deal well before Friday’s development.

Collins has taken steps forward in the pass-rushing department since working through the switch while also providing a voice in the room for players like Ojulari to lean on, especially when working through coverages.

His role in the defense looks even more solidified now given the extension.

As for who lines up across from him, there’s a clear candidate in Dennis Gardeck, who was already firmly in the discussion before the Ojulari injury.

“He is one of the more complete players I’ve honestly ever been around,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said in July. “I think he’s an extremely good pass rusher. He can cover as good as any outside linebacker can cover. And he can win with leverage in the run game.

“He can provide value for us along the line of scrimmage, in space, all of that. If he takes strides in all parts of his game, he’s going to bring that much more value to our defense.”

As for the depth immediately behind Gardeck and Collins, the two names to keep in mind are Victor Dimukeje and Jesse Luketa.

Dimukeje is coming off a career year highlighted by four sacks (tied for second on the team), five tackles for loss and eight QB hits across 16 games played (six starts).

Luketa meanwhile showed off his versatility last year, playing both fullback and outside linebacker in 14 games (one start).

He also turned in one of the better pass rushes during Saturday’s Red & White Practice during 1-on-1 work.

Dimukeje could very well be the first sub in for Collins and Gardeck with Luketa not that far behind.

A dark horse in all of this is 2024 fifth-rounder Xavier Thomas.

Picking up the phone

Simply for depth purposes, Arizona is bound to bring another body in one way or another.

How that happens is anyone’s guess. What we do know is those discussions are already underway.

Ossenfort has a few options to consider.

He can scour what’s left of the free agent market in the hopes of adding depth sooner than later. With training camp nearing its final phase ahead of preseason action, any extra time within Arizona’s system is a plus.

Then again, if players are still looking for a team at this time of the year, it’s likely for good reason, whether it’s centered around pay or performance.

Ossenfort getting on the phone with other GMs around the league to gauge any trade interest is on the table, too.

There’s also the possibility Ossenfort waits for the league’s 53-man roster cutdown day on Aug. 27 before making a decision.

Either way, the options are aplenty.

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