Cardinals Have Major Position Battle on Defense

The Arizona Cardinals are working towards figuring out their depth chart for the upcoming season, especially when it comes to the defensive line.

The defensive line has rookies and veterans alike with Walter Nolen being selected in the first round and Calais Campbell re-joining the team for his 18th NFL season. In addition to Nolen and Campbell, last year's first-round pick Darius Robinson could also have an impact in the starting lineup.

Bleacher Report writer Matt Holder highlighted the position battle between the trio, which will likely result in only two getting the starting jobs.

"It was a bit of a surprise to see the Arizona Cardinals use the 16th overall selection of last month’s draft on Nolen after spending a first-round pick on Robinson just a year ago. On top of that, they signed Campbell to a one-year deal during free agency at the beginning of April, 17 years after drafting him in the second round," Holder wrote.

"While the 38-year-old who turns 39 in September isn’t the Pro Bowler he used to be, Campbell is coming off a solid campaign with the Miami Dolphins. 

"According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked 20th among interior defenders with 39 pressures (five sacks) and earned the highest run defense grade at the position with a mark of 85.9. Clearly, the old man has enough left in the tank to push for a starting spot in Arizona.

"On the other end of the spectrum, Robinson is young but missed the majority of last season with a calf injury. He only played in six games with no starts and participated in fewer than 200 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference, resulting in an underwhelming statline with just 10 total tackles and one sack. 

"That’s likely a big reason the organization drafted the Ole Miss product, who was one of the most disruptive prospects in the 2025 draft class and has a bright future."

All three defensive linemen will participate in this week's OTA's looking to make an impression, but a decision on who will emerge as a starter won't come until training camp in late July and August.