Walter Nolen just absolutely dominated a recent fan survey, pulling in a massive 50% of the vote for who will finish second on the team in sacks this season. That's a huge show of confidence from the fans, especially when you consider the team hasn't exactly been stacked with sack artists outside of a few standouts. When the survey asked who would be second in sacks, assuming Josh Sweat is healthy and on the roster all year, Nolen ran away with it.
The Fans Are Speaking: Nolen Leads The Pack
It wasn't even close! Nolen snagged half the votes, proving where the fan hope is squarely focused. B.J. Ojulari came in second in the fan survey with 21% of the vote, and second-year pass rusher Jordan Burch grabbed 14%. Talk about putting all your eggs in a few baskets, right? Fans are clearly desperate for a disruptive force off the edge, and Nolen is the guy they're pointing to. There's this huge underlying hope that one of these players makes a serious leap this year, because who else is gonna step up?Can These Guys Hit The 6.5 Sack Mark?
Look, finishing second in sacks on the Cardinals might not sound like much, but there's a specific number that could make all the difference: 6.5 sacks. That number is significant because it's what Calais Campbell put up in a season, and if one of these three players,Nolen, Ojulari, or Burch,can match that, it would mean more sacks in one season than any of them have had in their entire career. Not only that, but it would also top the combined sack total of all three players from last season. That's the bar. FanDuel Sportsbook actually has Nolen and Josh Sweat at +30000 to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year, with Myles Garrett as the heavy favorite. It just shows how much ground these guys have to make up to even be in the conversation, but the fans' hopes are still sky-high. The bottom line is, if the second-highest sack total on the team ends up being four or less, then nobody's really gonna care who finished second. The real goal, the true sign of progress, is seeing one of these guys explode past that 6.5 sack mark. The fans have picked their horse in Nolen; now it's up to him to live up to those big expectations and bring that pass rush jolt the team needs.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.