The Arizona Cardinals are in their offseason and looking ahead to 2025.
But while we are in the offseason, it is time to look back at the 2024 season and give some recognitions for player performances.
On the podcast, we discussed player awards and superlatives. Now we will put our picks in written form.
We continue with the team’s most improved player for 2024.
Who was the Cardinals’ defensive player of the year? Howard Balzer and I give our picks.
Cardinals 2024 most improved player
Jess Root: LB Jesse Luketa
Luketa was almost an afterthought on the roster and viewed as probably the last guy on the depth chart at outside linebacker. He was good on special teams and great as a glue guy in the locker room, just a guy you love to have on your team.
But after Dennis Gardeck was lost for the season with a torn ACL, Luketa flourished. He ended up No. 1 on the depth chart. He was reliable against the run and especially in setting the edge, but he also became productive as a pass rusher, picking up sacks in three consecutive games in November, the first sacks of his career. He showed he could be a rotational player on all three downs.
Howard Balzer: CB Garrett Williams
There was a lot of improvement expected from cornerback Garrett Williams in 2024 and the second-year player delivered. It wasn’t a surprise because the talented 2023 third-round draft choice wasn’t activated from the non-football injury list in his rookie year until Oct. 21 because of a torn ACL suffered in his final collegiate season at Syracuse.
In 2024, Williams started 11 of the 16 games he was active playing mostly in the slot, the position where he received seven All-Pro votes, which was fifth-most in the league.
After playing 360 defensive snaps in 2023, Williams played 781 (76 percent) this past season and totaled 58 tackles (40 solo). He also had two interceptions, nine passes defensed and a forced fumble.
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.
