Aug 2, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Walter Nolen III in the Red and White practice during training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What Should Cardinals Expect From Walter Nolen?

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 4:14 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals have yet to see first-round pick Walter Nolen III take the field.

Nolen suffered a calf injury training at the team's facility ahead of training camp, which has kept him out of every practice to date.

The Cardinals move into their preseason finale without their top pick having touched the grass, and there's some doubt around his availability for their regular season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

NFL.com recently went through each first-round pick's expectations and laid out a best (and worst) case scenario for each pick.

What's Best, Worst-Case Scenario for Walter Nolen?

From Dan Parr:

"Best-case scenario: The calf injury that has sidelined Nolen for all of camp heals in time for him to play in Week 1. He makes up for lost time, earning a starter’s share of snaps and realizing some previously untapped potential.

"Worst-case scenario: For the second year in a row, a defensive lineman drafted in the first round by the Cardinals can’t get his rookie year off the ground because of a calf injury, with Nolen joining Darius Robinson in that club. Even after he returns, Nolen doesn’t have the twitch or explosiveness Arizona expected to see from him, and the team remains mired in mediocrity.

"Projected stats: 26 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks."

Cardinals Excited About Walter Nolen

The good news? Nolen isn't fully expected to heavily contribute to the Cardinals' defensive line immediately thanks to other offseason additions, which will allow Arizona to take their time with Nolen's recovery.

"We’re excited to add (DL) Walter Nolen III from Ole Miss. A guy we did a lot of work on. (We) scouted (him) through the fall, the Senior Bowl, the combine then we brought Walter in here for a (top) 30 visit. He impressed us the whole way" GM Monti Ossenfort told reporters after the draft.

"The tape spoke for itself—violent, disruptive, high motor, tenacious, three-down player. It is hard to find those guys that can affect the pocket from the interior of the formation, so we’re really excited to add Walter."

Nolen likely won't impact the box score deeply, though he projects as a player who can align up and down the trenches while also pressuring the quarterback.

“Disruption. Disruption. We’ve talked about it a lot. We wanted to have a more disruptive defensive unit," Ossenfort continued. "We think we’ve added players that can help us do that. When we find players that can affect the middle of the pocket, it puts a lot of stress on the offense. Walter is another guy that we think can help us do that, and we’re really excited to add him to our team.”

This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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