Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen III recently made the All-Under-25 Team assembled by Nick Shook of NFL.com. It's a projection of the best young 12 offensive players and 11 defensive players heading into the 2026 season.
It's somewhat of a surprising and riskier selection compared to the other rising stars who have already established themselves in the league, whether that's Drake Maye, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, etc.
Cardinals have a rising star in Walter Nolen III
Nolen has yet to experience that breakout of his own, as he was limited to just six games as a rookie due to injury. But for Shook, that limited sample size was already enough to include Nolen as one of the league's best up-and-coming players:
"This selection requires a bit of projection, but I'm confident it will pan out because what I saw from Nolen in just six games tells me all I need to know. Nolen was a disruptive force and an instant, significant upgrade for Arizona's defensive line as soon as he returned from injury, recording a sack and four tackles in his very first game."
It's far more difficult to evaluate Nolen compared to the rest of the players on this list, but he should hopefully ease those concerns with a breakout 2026 campaign.
It may be somewhat premature to include him with these franchise-altering players around the league, especially since he was a relatively low pick at No. 16 overall. While those concerns currently are valid, Shook is convinced a healthy version of Nolen will justify this selection.
"Trust me: He's a stud,"Â he added.
Cardinals avoid Walter Nolen injury scare
Fortunately, it sounds like the Cardinals avoided an injury scare with Nolen in training camp. He was dealing with discomfort in his left knee, the same one he hurt last season. Ahead of Sunday's practice, head coach Mike LaFleur added that "Walt's good" and will be "ready to roll today."
Both Nolen and the Cardinals dodged a bullet with this injury update. The fact that he's made this Under-25 Team shows the level of talent Arizona stole in the 2025 NFL Draft. Compared to the rest of these names, Nolen still has a lot more to prove to reach that star potential. Still, it should be only a matter of time before he's a key cog in Arizona's defense, with health being the major hurdle right now to overcome.
Now that he's avoided another significant injury, Nolen will look to build off those strong few games he showcased as a rookie. If he's able to put that together over the course of the season, his spot on this list should become justified, as the talent has never been the issue.
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