The Arizona Cardinals have high expectations for Walter Nolen III, as they took him with the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss.

However, he has been unable to play as he was on the PUP list after he suffered a calf injury during the off-season that prevented him from participating in training camp.

The team will get to see him on Monday Night Football though, as he has been activated and will be in action when the Cardinals take on the Dallas Cowboys.

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Nolen started his career at Texas A&M, where he spent his first two seasons. He had 66 tackles and five sacks during his time in College Station, but decided to transfer to Ole Miss for the 2024 season.

He had a huge year for Lane Kiffin, as he was named First-team All-SEC and a Consensus First-team All-American. In his lone year in Oxford, he finished with 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks before entering the draft.

The Cardinals have really struggled to get after the quarterback, as they are currently 28th in the league with 12 sacks. Josh Sweat is leading the team with five, and defensive tackle Calais Campbell is next with three.

Campbell is the perfect person for Nolen to learn from, as he has a legitimate chance to be a Hall-of-Famer after he retires. He has been a presence in the NFL since he was drafted by the Cardinals in 2008.

Having a presence like Nolen on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys is a huge addition. The Cowboys enter this game as one of the best offenses in the NFL, led by quarterback Dak Prescott. If he is able to have time and look down the field, guys like Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens are capable of having huge games.

Arizona is on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs, as the NFC West is arguably the best division in the NFL. However, the team has shown it can play with anybody, as the team’s five losses are by a combined 13 points.

Nolen has a huge opportunity to show the Cardinals and their fans he was the right pick, and what better place to do it than Cowboys stadium on Monday Night Football.

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