No matter how ugly a season gets, there’s usually one or two players who flash through the wreckage and make you stop and pay attention. For Arizona in 2025, that guy was Michael Wilson. Pro Football Focus thinks Walter Nolen could be next.
PFF analyst Gordon McGuinness pointed to Nolen as a breakout candidate for 2026, and the case starts with what he already showed in limited work as a rookie. Nolen played only 169 snaps in Arizona, but the impact was real when he got opportunities.
“ Nolen showed some encouraging flashes during his rookie season in Arizona, but he played just 169 snaps, limiting his overall impact,“ says PFF analyst Gordon McGuinness. “ He generated 15 pressures on 99 pass-rushing snaps, earned an 80.1 PFF pass-rush grade and recorded at least three pressures in three of the four games in which he had 15 or more pass-rushing snaps.
The key for Nolen will be staying on the field, but if he can, there’s a chance he emerges as Arizona’s best defensive player by the end of the season. ”
That’s the whole swing with Nolen: the talent has already shown up, but the availability piece is what keeps the door from flying wide open. The pressure production and pass-rush grade hint at a player who can disrupt quickly once he’s on the field consistently.
It also tracks with how highly he was viewed before the 2025 draft. Nolen was once considered a top-three pick before his final collegiate season, which tells you the league had already seen enough elite tape to buy into his upside.
Now the question is simple. Can he stay healthy and put it together in 2026?
In Other News...
James Conner Suddenly Sits At Center Of A Cardinals Roster Crunch
With cutdown day looming on Aug. 30, James Conner has found himself in the kind of late-summer conversation running backs usually want to avoid. The veteran is one of several notable names mentioned as teams sort through a shrinking roster picture, and for Arizona the discussion is especially pointed because the backfield is suddenly tied to a broader set of decisions about experience, depth and how much room there really is for established players once the 53-man roster is set.
The speculation around Conner is part of a larger wave of veteran uncertainty across the league, with familiar names surfacing as possible release or trade candidates before final cuts. For the Cardinals, the issue is less about what Conner has already meant to the offense and more about how quickly the numbers game can change in late August, when injuries, contract considerations and roster shuffling can turn a seemingly stable spot into one of the most watched decisions on the team. [Read more 🡒]
Rondale Moore Is Giving Cardinals Fans A Reason To Reconsider Him
Rondale Moore has spent much of his Cardinals tenure trying to show he can be more than just a promising name with untapped upside, and his latest training camp comments fit right into that conversation. After two uneven NFL seasons, the wide receiver said he has kept a positive attitude through the challenges and feels good about the work he has put in this summer, giving Arizona at least a reason to look again at a player who has not always had the easiest path to proving himself.
The encouraging part for the Cardinals is not just that Moore sounds refreshed, but that he believes the camp has been productive in a way that matters for the offense. He has also talked about staying focused on his process rather than getting caught up in outside noise, which is the sort of steady mindset teams hope to see when a player is trying to carve out a bigger role. For Arizona, the question now is whether that approach turns into something more meaningful once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face A Jeremiyah Love Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Jeremiyah Love gave the Cardinals plenty to think about in the first half of their preseason game, handling 14 touches before the conversation shifted from usage to durability. Arizona has been trying to balance getting its rookie running back enough work to settle in with not overdoing it in a game environment that often features backup defenders and uneven protection.
Loves workload was already drawing attention when the ankle issue surfaced late in his final offensive snap, and now the bigger question is how much time he may miss as the regular season approaches. The Cardinals want him ready by Week 1, but the episode has turned a routine preseason evaluation into a test of patience, caution and how much risk the team is willing to take with one of its most closely watched young players. [Read more 🡒]