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The Arizona Cardinals addressed the interior defensive line in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting FCS standout Kaleb Proctor 104th overall. Proctor enjoyed a strong four-year stint with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions, totaling 134 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He enjoyed a breakout senior campaign, recording 43 tackles and career highs of 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks, earning First-Team All-FCS Central, All-SLC Player of the Year, and First Team All-SLC. He also posted 39 pressures, a 13.7% pass-rush win rate, 11 run stops, and a 4.3% stop rate.
In his rookie season, Proctor will compete for the top backup role on thedefensive line, primarily playing on obvious passing downs rather than on early running downs. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish spring practice unscathed.
The Arizona Cardinals’ FCS standout shut down for the 2026 season
Kaleb Proctor did not participate during mandatory minicamp with an undisclosed injury. During Wednesday’s press conference, Mike LaFleur provided an injury update on the fourth-round pick, as reported by Donnie Druin of Sports Illustrated. LaFleur said that Proctor tore his meniscus but did not specify whether he would require a meniscus trim, which would sideline him for a few weeks, or a full repair, which could require up to six months of recovery. Regardless, the head coach expects the rookie to miss significant time but did not rule out the possibility that he could miss the entire season.
The Cardinals will likely place Proctor on the active/PUP list once training camp starts and move him to the reserve list during roster cuts. This would allow him to play in his rookie season after missing the minimum four-game threshold and return later if he is healthy enough. The front office could also place him on the reserve/PUP list to open training camp and effectively shut him down for 2026.
UPDATE: The Cardinals have placed Proctor on the season-ending injured reserve.
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The post Arizona Cardinals: FCS Standout Shut Down for 2026 Season appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
