Cardinals camp questions: Which rookies make a case to start?

More friction. More storylines.

The Arizona Cardinals enter training camp with the highest expectations they’ve had under the current regime led by general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Before training camp at State Farm Stadium kicks off next week, we’re taking a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding the team.

It’s time to dive into potential rookie starters.

Which Cardinals rookies make their case to start this training camp?

This Cardinals regime does not shy away from playing their youngsters. It’s all about earning your role under head coach Jonathan Gannon.

In 2023, Paris Johnson Jr. (17 starts), Michael Wilson (12), Dante Stills (eight), Kei’Trel Clark (seven) and Starling Thomas V (seven) were among the young guns thrust into the spotlight.

Then came last year, when Marvin Harrison Jr. (16) and Tip Reiman (nine) got plenty of run. If not for a calf injury and the passing of his mother, Darius Robinson would have likely been in the mix, too.

And with how the roster is currently constructed, there very well could be at least two more additions in 2025 (all from the defensive side of the ball).

The first name that stands out in a major way is second-round pick and cornerback Will Johnson.

Projected by many as a first-round pick, Johnson joins a cornerbacks room with a clearer pathway to immediate playing time than most rookies.

Veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting and his offseason knee injury certainly help in the numbers game. But regardless of Murphy-Bunting’s place on the non-football injured list, all signs point to Johnson still having a meaningful role based on what he could bring to the defense.

Aside from having the makeup as a true lockdown cornerback, Johnson also brings with him a knack for finding the football.

And it just so happens those are two of the biggest areas of need for Arizona’s defense in a crucial Year 3.

Despite being behind the talent eight ball due to injuries and inconsistencies, the unit found its footing as the season went on.

Still, Arizona was minus-3 in the turnover differential battle with 17 takeaways. That was good enough for 18th in the league.

Getting back into the positives likely means more success, with 13 of the 15 teams that were in the green making the playoffs in 2025.

Given Johnson’s track record from his final two seasons at Michigan where he returned three of six interceptions back for touchdowns in 18 games played, it’s not hard to put two and two together.

But like every player heading into training camp, staying healthy will be key for Johnson, especially when looking at his injury history before joining Arizona.

In his final season at Michigan, Johnson dealt with toe and shoulder issues that limited him to just six games played. He still took back two pick-sixes mind you.

The injury concerns were big reasons for his skid in the draft. Dealing with a tight hamstring during Cardinals minicamp only added to the narrative.

Ask Johnson, though, and he’s ready to work.

Cardinals veteran Calais Campbell pinpointed Walter Nolen III’s lateral quickness as an early takeaway on the rookie.

Nolen’s reaction?

“To hear that from a good vet, I’m pretty excited for myself.” pic.twitter.com/3sGT5Iiek8

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) June 16, 2025

“I feel great,” Johnson told Arizona Sports’ Cardinals Corner last month. “Been doing everything just to get my body right. … That’s what I’m going to spend the next five to seven weeks doing, getting my body as fully ready as I can be going into camp and going into the season.”

Johnson takes the cake as the most likely rookie starter come Week 1.

He’s not the only one, though, with inside linebacker Cody Simon and defensive lineman Walter Nolen III rounding out the trio of potential Year 1 starters.

Much like Johnson, there’s a legitimate avenue toward starting reps for Simon after the team decided against bringing back veteran MIKE backer Kyzir White.

Instead, the Cardinals went out and added a pair of inside options in Akeem Davis-Gaither and Mykal Walker. Of the two, Davis-Gaither appears to be the biggest competition for the role alongside Mack Wilson Sr.

But with just 11 starts across five seasons, seven coming in 2024, he’s no shoo-in for the role.

That’s where Simon comes in.

“They don’t take you if they don’t think you can contribute now. My biggest goal is to contribute as early as possible and help the team the best that I can,” Simon added while on with Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo in May.

Lauded for his cerebral tendencies, physical traits and leadership qualities, Simon was a big piece of Ohio State’s operation across five seasons and 57 games played.

For his efforts with the Buckeyes, Simon was honored with the Block O award, a nod that has been given just five times in program history.

He’s looking to leave a similar legacy at the next level.

“I’m just trying to soak in everything I can and really just try to get a grasp of what it would be like to be a linebacker here and how you have to control the defense and really be the vocal leader,” Simon told Cardinals Corner in June.

Then there’s Nolen, a 2024 All-American who racked up 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in his lone season at Ole Miss.

Typically, first-rounders get talked about first as potential starters in Year 1.

But given the names inside the defensive line room, Nolen has his work cut out for him right out the gates.

This isn’t the same Arizona defensive line from the past two years. Ossenfort has added some serious beef to the equation with Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson and Nolen all coming aboard. 2024 returners Dante Stills, Darius Robinson and L.J. Collier round out the room.

Campbell and Tomlinson should get first crack at starting. Robinson and Stills, who was Arizona’s most underrated player last year, are going to be in the mix, too.

For Nolen, that means some serious heavy lifting up the depth chart. The rookie, however, seems unfazed by the work ahead.

“I’m not the most talkative person, but every day I’m going to come in and handle my handle. … I know what I’m here for and I know what I’m going to bring to the table,” he said last month.

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