It's No Secret Who Cardinals Want at Trade Deadline

The Arizona Cardinals haven't been shy in their interest towards a pass rusher.

Aug 21, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Azeez Ojulari (51) warms up prior to the preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are in search of a pass rusher as the league's trade deadline approaches.

It might be the NFC West's worst-kept secret at this point. Arizona has lost edge rushers such as BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck to season-ending injuries. Starting defensive linemen Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols are also on injured reserve while first-round pick Darius Robinson has yet to play.

Needless to say, Arizona's front seven has been depleted over the first half of the season, a harsh reality for a group that already faced massive question marks surround their production ahead of the season.

Approaching Week 9, the Cardinals rank near the bottom of the league in stats such as sacks (15), pressure percentage (15.5%) and quarterback hurry percentage (3.9%).

Help is needed, and the Cardinals haven't been shy on who they're targeting ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline.

Reports from insiders across the league:

Mike Jones, The Athletic: "A high-level pass rusher can turn a good defense into a great defense, and teams with championship aspirations could look to make a move at the deadline to increase their chances of achieving their goals this postseason. NFC front-runner Detroit needs pass-rushing help with Aidan Hutchinson lost to injury for the season. Atlanta, which leads the NFC South, also needs help at edge rusher. Arizona, which remains in the thick of things in the NFC West, also has been calling teams in search of pass-rushing help."

Diana Russini, The Athletic: ""A surprise you already know about: The Cardinals are sitting atop the NFC West in November. The team is actively calling around to add some pieces. Arizona’s biggest need is edge rusher, where they’ve been ravaged by injuries.

"The Giants (Azeez Ojulari) and Titans (Arden Key) have taken calls from the Cardinals."

Jeremy Fowler, ESPN: "Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari's name has heated up in recent days. Teams that had him as a fringe option now believe he could get moved by Tuesday, especially if contenders in need of rush help don't want to meet the Browns' asking price for a Za'Darius Smith trade. Ojulari is in a contract year, is playing well (six sacks) and is probably the odd man out once Kayvon Thibodeaux returns. One interesting connection: Arizona. The Cardinals could be 5-4 coming out of the weekend, have a major need at edge rusher and Ojulari's brother, BJ, is a Cardinal, though BJ is out for the season."

New York Giants OLB Azeez Ojulari has been a popular name in trade talks for awhile now, though his price may have increased recently after securing five sacks in the last three weeks.

Ojulari is young and has shown promise on a 2-6 Giants squad - but would need a contract extension as he's set to hit free agency this offseason.

The Cardinals have the cap space and draft picks to make any trade they desire happen - and they've got a clear target in mind.