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It has been a while since the Arizona Cardinals had a rookie defensive lineman make an impact on a season. After drafting Walter Nolen III in the first round, perhaps that would change. However, a calf injury before training camp stole half his season, and many (including yours truly) wondered if he would be able to show anything.
In his NFL debut on Monday night in the Cardinals' 27-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Nolen was fantastic.
He had a tackle for loss in his second NFL snap and made numerous other plays.
The stat line for his debut looked like this: 37 defensive snaps, four tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and one batted down pass.
His 37 snaps played were second among the Cardinals' defensive linemen only to Calais Campbell's 38 on the evening.
He was explosive and disruptive.
“For a guy in his first NFL game to do what he did, c'mon, man, that’s incredible," Campbell said after the game. "Now I have to make sure his head doesn’t get too big. You gotta stay a little poised. I’ll tell him you don’t have to get the stats, but you have to dominate like you did this week.”
His play on the defensive interior gives the Cardinals hope that the defensive issues they have had, especially late in games, can be lessened.
Darius Robinson had a rough rookie season last year. In one game, Nolen has as many sacks and quarterback hits and more tackles for loss than Robinson did in six games in 2024.
What a start to his NFL career.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals rookie DL Walter Nolen has huge NFL debut
Continue reading...
In his NFL debut on Monday night in the Cardinals' 27-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Nolen was fantastic.
He had a tackle for loss in his second NFL snap and made numerous other plays.
The stat line for his debut looked like this: 37 defensive snaps, four tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and one batted down pass.
His 37 snaps played were second among the Cardinals' defensive linemen only to Calais Campbell's 38 on the evening.
He was explosive and disruptive.
“For a guy in his first NFL game to do what he did, c'mon, man, that’s incredible," Campbell said after the game. "Now I have to make sure his head doesn’t get too big. You gotta stay a little poised. I’ll tell him you don’t have to get the stats, but you have to dominate like you did this week.”
His play on the defensive interior gives the Cardinals hope that the defensive issues they have had, especially late in games, can be lessened.
Darius Robinson had a rough rookie season last year. In one game, Nolen has as many sacks and quarterback hits and more tackles for loss than Robinson did in six games in 2024.
What a start to his NFL career.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals rookie DL Walter Nolen has huge NFL debut
Continue reading...
