Walter Nolen is coming to the desert. The Arizona Cardinals have poured nearly all of their resources into the defensive front this offseason, and they aren’t done yet.
With the 16th pick in the NFL Draft, the Cardinals went with Walter Nolen, the dominant defensive tackle from Ole Miss.
Nolen shows the raw athleticism to become one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. In Jonathan Gannon’s system, he could be the next Jalen Carter.
Walter Nolen could be Jonathan Gannon’s Jalen Carter
Jonathan Gannon became the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2023. That same year, the Philadelphia Eagles (where Gannon had been the defensive coordinator) drafted Jalen Carter.
In the two seasons since, Carter and the Eagles have risen to the top of the NFL. Carter played a major role in Philadelphia winning Super Bowl LIX over the Kansas City Chiefs.
You have to think that, as Gannon watched the Eagles hoist the Lombardi, he was thinking of how his Cardinals could replicate their success.
Now, Jonathan Gannon and the Arizona Cardinals seem to be following in the Eagles’ footsteps.
Walter Nolen mirrors Jalen Carter as a prospect in plenty of ways. Both players were dominant on the interior for SEC schools. Both players have the ability to burst through gaps and wreck plays in the backfield. Both players had major character concerns coming into the draft that caused them to fall lower than they should have.
Gannon can use Nolen in a similar way to how the Eagles use Carter. Playing alongside Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell, Nolen will have one-on-one opportunities where he can make game-changing plays.
If Nolen’s career takes a path similar to that of Carter, Cardinals fans can rejoice. Arizona has been in need of a powerhouse up front since Calais Campbell left years ago. Now, they might just have one.