Cardinals Have One of NFL's Most Important Position Battles

The Arizona Cardinals were busy birds this offseason in adding new faces to the roster and are creating several position battles for both starting time and spots on the depth chart.

Among the biggest competitions is the defensive line, specifically in the interior.

The group needed reinforcements in the worst way after having minimal production in 2024 and few options ready to compete for major starting time. Arizona was aggressive in addressing the room and now the interior defensive line room has perhaps the stiffest competition.

Players returning to the room notably include L.J. Collier following his re-signing, reigning team sack-leader Dante Stills, and second-year man Darius Robinson, who missed most of last season due to injury.

The team made two notable free agency signings for the position with Dalvin Tomlinson and former Cardinal/long-time fan-favorite Calais Campbell.

And to put an emphasis on the retooling, the Cardinals selected Ole Miss product Walter Nolen with their first-round pick.

Including returners Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones (both coming off injury), the defensive line room is deep -- perhaps too deep.

It's likely that someone may be an odd man out and see the team move on from them, but that's a conversation for another time. Instead, we are looking at the looming camp battle and its top candidates to start.

Bleacher Report's Matt Holder previewed the battle and identified Campbell, Nolen, and Robinson's as one of the most important position battles in the NFL.

Cardinals Have Tough Decision at DL

Holder explained:

"Campbell’s experience and the fact that he’s still playing at a high level give him a major competitive advantage over the two young bucks."

Holder added B/R's draft scouting department prefered Nolen to Robinson during their respective processes, which helped lead to their decision to start the former.

"In full disclosure, B/R was a lot higher on Nolen than Robinson as draft prospects, which factors into the projected winners. The former is a more explosive athlete who has a higher ceiling, while the latter has already underwhelmed in the pros," said Holder.

The choice hardly comes as a surprise to me. Anyone who has kept up with my content in the last calendar year knows that I have been championing Nolen as a future NFL superstar and his selection to the Cardinals was amongst my favorite moves the franchise made this offseason.

As for Campbell, he's still playing at an above-average level even as he enters his 18th pro season and will turn 39-years-old in September. His remarkable career has led him home to the desert where it all started, and fans are hoping it ends there. Considering his production, Campbell is an easy slot to start.

Opening the season with Campbell and Nolen sounds like an ideal scenario for Cardinals fans. I have a slight pushback, however, and believe that Tomlinson has an inside track to start next to the veteran.

Tomlinson has had a quietly good career and his addition to the defense will help solidify the front seven with a proven player and elite run defender.

Nolen is a very exciting prospect and he could/should find the field early and often in his rookie season. However, he's far from guaranteed a starting role right now, even as a first-round pick.

We also can't forget about Stills, who paced Arizona in sacks last season. It makes sense to continue playing him in a rotational role, but the production speaks for itself and continued development will make it difficult to justify such a role.

The bottom line remains the defensive line room will have no shortage of camp battles for the Cardinals and there are seemingly a million directions it could go with so many players returning and being brought in.

It's not impossible for Stills and Collier to be the week one starters. Even with it being highly unlikely, the chances are never zero and it's what makes camp battles so intense.

Campbell and Nolen have excellent shots to start out the gate and Robinson will be a top contender, as well. My friendly reminder is not to forget Tomlinson, and I also want to remind everyone the depth chart is ridiculous.

Keep an eye on this camp battle and be prepared for some craziness on a day-to-day basis as the Cardinals preview what works and doesn't work with the dudes up front.