Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen overcomes his 'red flags' as Arizona Cardinals select him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 9:05 AM ET

Walter Nolen was undeniably one of the best defensive tackles in all of college football and perhaps the most important defensive player on the entire Ole Miss Rebels team last season.

From generating consistent pass rush pressure (50% more than positional average), to missing nearly zero tackles in run defense, to selflessly and frequently taking on multiple offensive lineman to set teammates up for success, Walter Nolen was flat out special in 2024. However, that didn't stop people from bringing up his alleged character "red flags" all throughout NFL Draft season.

The good news? Walter Nolen apparently overcame those red flags (at least for now) enough for the Arizona Cardinals to select him with their first round pick on Thursday night.

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For Ole Miss or Arizona Cardinals fans unfamiliar, Walter Nolen has had alleged character concerns and red flags reported for quite some time. This isn't just some smear campaign. The NFL consensus has been for months (if not longer than that) that the upside with Walter Nolen was evident, but the character flags may lead to a fall on draft day.

Luckily enough for Nolen, the Arizona Cardinals still have a rather significant need at defensive tackle despite recently bringing in Dalvin Tomlinson via free agency. Nolen's balanced skill set was obviously too enticing for the Cardinals to pass up, and the team clearly needs to build a strong foundation from the inside out on defense if they want to have any shot at stopping the run and bringing pressure with their pass rush.

Nolen's alleged "maturity" issues and attitudes towards practice will need to change if he's going to be a difference maker in the NFL, but it seems that the Cardinals thought he was worth the risk.

Walter Nolen Scouting Report

Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

Age (Birthday): 21 (10/14/2003)

A to Z Sports Expected Draft Position: 22

Pre-Draft Round Projection: 1

Considered a five-star player coming out of Powell High School in Tennessee, a lot was expected of Walter Nolen in the 2022 recruiting class. Nolen mostly underwhelmed during his two seasons with Texas A&M, but that changed quickly in 2024 with the Ole Miss Rebels. During that year, he was dominant at times, finishing the season with 48 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. His combination of explosiveness, power, and closing speed is something to behold when he is locked in. The issues with Nolen stem from alleged character concerns. Those whispers started all the way back in high school and haven't stopped at any of his spots. If he is locked in, and in a good infrastructure, Nolen has all the upside in the world. There is, however, a lot of boom or bust upside.

Career Projection: Boom Bust Starter Potential

We'll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to reminisce about Walter Nolens spectacular season with the Ole Miss Rebels and see why he was a first round pick to the Arizona Cardinals just check ou the 2024 highlights video below!