The Arizona Cardinals are pinning their hopes on 22-year-old edge rusher Jordan Burch to break through in 2026.
As the team's players arrived at their training facility in April, Mike LaFleur, the team's new coaching staff, made a point to seek out Burch. LaFleur had previously prepared for Burch when he was the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator, and he saw a player with immense potential.
Burch, selected with the 78th overall pick in the 2025 draft, struggled as a rookie, playing 44% of snaps but finishing with just one sack, one tackle for loss, and a paltry 6.8% pressure rate.
LaFleur's message to Burch was clear: "I think you can be as good as you want to be." Now, it's time for Burch to prove that prediction true.
In training camp, Burch has quickly become a relied-upon piece of the pass rush, rotating in and out of the starting defense's edge rusher role with Zaven Collins and Baron Browning. He's even ahead of Josh Sweat, who remains on the physically unable to perform list.
Burch's increased comfort in dropping into coverage has been a key factor in his increased playing time. "If (the coaches) see if I'm out there dropping and I have confidence being able to do it and then third down, I'm able to rush, they can put me out there whenever they need me," Burch said.
However, Burch's success will be measured by his ability to get to the quarterback. His 6.8% pressure rate last season ranked 92nd out of 94 edge rushers with at least 200 pass rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He was one of just four players to not record multiple sacks.
The Cardinals have few other places to turn for pass rushing production, with Josh Sweat being their only other player to finish last season with more than two sacks. This season, Walter Nolen should join Sweat in hitting that mark, but who else can consistently get to the quarterback?
Burch's go-to move has long been a speed-to-power rush, but this offseason, his focus has been on expanding his repertoire of moves, so that opposing linemen have more to think about when blocking him. "Then being able to do what I'm good at," Burch said. "So if it's speed to power, then working something off of it. That's been (outside linebackers coach Matt Feeney's) main focus with me."
It's too early in training camp to know if that work has paid off, but one thing is clear: the Cardinals are relying on Burch to take that leap and become a consistent pass rusher.
As the team's training camp continues, fans will be keeping a close eye on Burch's progress. With the regular season just around the corner, the Cardinals' hopes for a successful 2026 season may well rest on his shoulders.
Source: Yahoo Sports