Cardinals cut former 1st-rounder Nkemdiche

The Arizona Cardinals have released 2016 first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche, the team announced Saturday.

The defensive lineman reported to training camp out of shape after tearing his ACL last December. He was on the physically unable to perform list.

In addition to rehabbing his injury, Nkemdiche was twice arrested this offseason for traffic and driver's license issues.

The former Ole Miss standout was taken with the 29th overall pick in 2016 but failed to come close to expectations.

Nkemdiche racked up 44 tackles and 4.5 sacks over three seasons, with all of his quarterback takedowns coming in 2018. He missed 21 out of 48 regular-season games for Arizona.