The Arizona Cardinals have added to their defense, selecting Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen with the No. 16 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
A consensus top-five recruit in the nation out of high school, Nolen played two lackluster seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Ole Miss for the 2024 campaign. He took a massive leap forward with the Rebels, becoming the school’s second consensus All-American from the front seven, joining College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis.
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Nolen mainly lined up as a three-technique at Ole Miss with some additional reps rushing along the edge. He finished the season with 6.5 sacks (most among SEC defensive tackles), 14 tackles for loss (tied for the team high), three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He was a major piece of a devastating Rebels pass rush. In 2024, their 52 sacks were the third most in the FBS, while their four sacks per game led all FBS schools.
Ole Miss DL Walter Nolen wants to be the next @AaronDonald97.
So it’s only fitting he got a message from Donald himself 🫶
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2c2zWorBgL— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2025
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Nolen ranked No. 31 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“With his length and surge off the ball, Nolen creates immediate force and can be a play-wrecker with how quickly he penetrates gaps (the type of leverage that creates holding calls). He doesn’t rely on just quickness to win, but there are inefficiencies in his attack, especially when he is late to read the play. Overall, Nolen has areas of his game that require maturing, but he flashes big-time disruption in his initial burst and fast, physical hands to regularly affect the backfield action. He will be attractive for NFL teams looking for an active gap-shooter with high-end upside.”
How he fits
The defensive line and pass rush were among Arizona’s biggest weaknesses last season. GM Monti Ossenfort made improving both an offseason priority, and the results have been good. During free agency, he added veteran tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell, as well as edge rusher Josh Sweat. Selecting Nolen with Arizona’s first pick continues the push. A consensus All-American, the Ole Miss product was a disruptive force last season, collecting 14 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. With Tomlinson and Campbell, the Cardinals have strong vets on short-term contracts. Nolen and Darius Robinson, a 2024 first-round pick who missed most of last season with an injury, provide a younger nucleus.
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Depth-chart impact
Approaching this draft, Ossenfort did not want to be forced to draft a player that the Cardinals had to play immediately out of necessity. Because of the moves made during free agency, they shouldn’t have to do so with Nolen. Tomlinson, 31, has missed only seven games throughout his eight-year career. Campbell, 38, hasn’t missed a game in two years. First-round draft picks are expected to play right away — that won’t change — but provided the Cardinals stay healthy, Nolen should also have time to learn, which should help his development.
They also could have picked …
The Cardinals need help on the offensive line, particularly at guard, but Alabama’s Tyler Booker, considered the best in the draft, went to Dallas at No. 12. Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons also made sense, especially considering Arizona recently hired his college position coach, Justin Frye. Michigan corner Will Johnson also was a possibility.
Fast evaluation
Did you watch the Super Bowl? The Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. The Cardinals have a long way to go before reaching that level, but drafting Nolen is another important step for an organization looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. And it starts to turn one of last season’s most notable weaknesses into a strength.
(Photo: Justin Ford / Getty Images)
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