3 Arizona Cardinals Who Could Take Advantage of Walter Nolen Injury

The Arizona Cardinals were dealt a nasty blow when it rookie first-round pick Walter Nolen was sidelined due to a calf injury.

That's never the way you want to start off your tenure in the pros, and it has fans understandably nervous. We can't assume the worst, or at least we shouldn't. Rather, we should embrace a new opportunity presented to the rest of the guys on this team to come out and take advantage of more playing time.

Defensive line is a stacked position for the Cardinals. The team drafted Nolen, but also signed both Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. They joined a room that was ravaged by injuries a season ago, but the guys returning will be fighting for a spot on the team. The pressure is on for them to find their spot with the team, and Nolen's injury is presenting them the chance to do so.

Nolen is not in harm's way regarding his future with the franchise, but the majority of the defensive linemen on this team are.

With the Ole Miss product out of the equation for training camp, some of these guys need to step up and make the most of extra playing time.

The following three players have the most to gain right now with Nolen out for different reasons, but they can all change the course of their careers with it, and that's not an exaggeration.

Darius Robinson

How quickly we have seemingly moved on from a first-round draft pick. Robinson feels like he's on the outside looking in after a season that got out of hand to no fault of his own. It feels optimistic to call him a primary backup to however the current starting lineup looks right now -- right, wrong, or indifferent. And that's why Nolen's absence is such a big deal for Robinson.

With Nolen out for a while, Robinson should find the field more often and receive a chance to remind everyone who he is and how good of a football player he can be. One of Robinson's most attractive traits when he came out of Missouri was his versatility to line up inside and outside, and now he has an opportunity to show off his stuff inside.

Before Robinson can worry about being a versatile piece for the defense, he has to find a spot -- period -- and this is his chance to do just that. He's competing with plenty of veterans, and although his roster spot isn't (likely) in jeopardy, he needs every chance possible to prove his worth and live up to the investment the Cardinals placed in him.

LJ Collier

Yes, the Cardinals did re-sign Collier, who has proven to be a solid player for them the last two seasons, but it wasn't anything substantial that makes him completely safe from potentially being cut. With depth at the position, Collier is far from a lock.

That being said, Collier is fresh off his best professional season. The seven-year pro played in all 17 games, starting 15 of them and posting career-bests in tackles (29) and sacks (3.5) for a defense that lacked continuity. He was a major contributor for a below-average defensive line, and that matters.

In a "what have you done for me lately" league, Collier has a leg up on his teammates, but with Nolen sidelined, he has a chance to firmly establish his spot on the team. He's the safest veteran from the group that played in the desert a year ago, but he has a chance to definitively lock up his spot.

Elijah Simmons

Few things are more difficult than making an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent, and that's the scenario that Simmons finds himself in. He had a solid six-year stint in Nashville, but the former Tennessee Volunteer didn't possess the "stuff" to be drafted. Now, he will have to earn his way onto the team.

With Nolen out, Simmons has the biggest opportunity of any other defensive linemen on the team right now. There's not a lot of starting experience for Simmons, as he was primarily a rotating, two-down player for Tennessee. There's tons of refinement needed to his game, but the traits are there.

If Simmons can take off and grasp the playbook and adapt to pro coaching, he will vastly improve his chances to make this team. There is less competition for now, but the important factor here is that he will hopefully see more playing time in exhibition games. The more exposure he can find, the better.