It will be a while before the Arizona Cardinals can see Walter Nolen in action. The calf injury that has kept the first-round pick on Arizona’s active/PUP list will now sideline him for at least four games.
Upon setting their 53-man roster, the Cardinals are transferring Nolen to the reserve/PUP list. Nolen’s injury occurred while training at the team facility, making the rookie eligible for the PUP list — as opposed to the NFI list, which is important for salary purposes. Nolen will be locked into his fully guaranteed salary on the PUP list.
The Cardinals effectively punted on their D-line in 2023, after J.J. Watt retired and Zach Allen joined the Broncos in free agency, but the team has steadily retooled there. After drafting Darius Robinson in the 2024 first round, the Cardinals signed Browns cap casualty Dalvin Tomlinson. Arizona then used the No. 16 overall pick on Nolen this year. A post-draft Calais Campbell reunion then commenced, forming an intriguing group up front. The Tomlinson and Campbell additions loom larger now, with Nolen set to be out until at least October.
Nolen racked up 6.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and three pass deflections at Ole Miss. Those totals helped earn him first-team All-SEC and All-American honors and cement his status as one of the top options in a deep defensive line class. While questions were raised early in the pre-draft process about his range, it was clear just before the opening round Nolen would likely not need to wait long to hear his name called. But he now will need to wait a bit before debuting.
The Cardinals, who also added Josh Sweat in free agency, have overhauled their pass rush in the past two offseasons. They will have a more formidable front seven, thanks to the bevy of additions this year, but the full group working together — in what is likely Campbell’s final season — is on hold.
