A day before the Cardinals made their blockbuster trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins official last March, they announced a series of free-agent additions to bolster their defense.
Hopkins might have been the prized catch of the offseason, but the signings of defensive lineman Jordan Phillips, outside linebacker Devon Kennard, inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and later, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, was met with fanfare both locally and nationally.
Arizona’s defense, after all, ranked last in the league in 2019, allowing an average of 402 yards per game. It was next-to-last in passing defense, allowing 281.9 yards per game.