Arizona Cardinals Select Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen in First Round of 2025 NFL Draft
GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the 16th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals have selected the now former Ole Miss defensive tackle, Walter Nolen.
Congratulations to Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen on being selected in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 16 pick. Hotty Toddy! pic.twitter.com/gwY0gRuxFT
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) April 25, 2025
Once one of the nation’s top high school recruits, Nolen transferred from Texas A&M to Ole Miss as a junior and quickly became a dominant piece in the Landshark defense. His blend of size, power and burst helped anchor the Rebels’ defensive front in 2024, and now he’ll bring that same disruptive presence to the Cardinals’ defensive line.
.@OleMissFB DT Walter Nolen brings all the tools necessary to be an impact player on the D-Line 😤 @walternolen4
📺: 2025 #NFLDraft – April 24-26 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7730uoX6i8— NFL (@NFL) April 15, 2025
Collegiate Career
Nolen racked up 66 total tackles and 5 sacks during his two-year tenure at Texas A&M. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and defensive coordinator had big intentions to improve the size and talent on the line of scrimmage in 2024, so, they picked up the top-rated defensive lineman in the portal.
In his lone year with the Rebels, Nolen tallied 48 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. Although the stats are impressive, you have to watch the games to really see how much of a physical force Nolen was for the Ole Miss front-seven. The former Rebel was named 2024 First-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-SEC.
NFL Combine
Nolen earned the seventh-highest prospect grade, second-highest rated defensive lineman, at the 2025 NFL Combine, measuring in at 6-foot-4, 296 pounds. The former Rebel was a projected first round pick coming into the combine, with a player comparison to John Franklin-Myers.
Nolen chose not to participate in any of the combine events, still, not affecting his draft stock heading into the draft.
As always, for more NFL Draft content and all of your Ole Miss sports needs, be sure to stay tuned with The Rebel Walk.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
