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The Arizona Cardinals continued their defensive makeover with the 16th pick in the NFL draft, selecting defensive tackle Walter Nolen of Ole Miss.
In free agency, the Cardinals added Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson at the position. Now, they add Nolen, who has the potential to become an impact player against both the pass and the run.
As a pass rusher, he finished last season with 6.5 sacks. His 9.7% pressure rate lagged behind some of the top players at the position in this draft class but still ranked 39th among 364 interior defensive linemen with at least 150 pass rush snaps in college football last season.
He was even more productive against the run. He finished with 14 tackles for loss and was Pro Football Focus’ second-highest interior run defender, behind only Mason Graham, who went fifth overall to the Cleveland Browns. He also recorded a healthy 32 stops — tackles that constitute a failure for the offense — on 224 run snaps.
“I'd just say I'm a unicorn to sum it up,” Nolen said . “I can do whatever for you in any given situation, as long as I get the right coaching. I can take it from there.”
The questions facing Nolen are louder off the field. On ESPN’s draft show, Nick Saban said, “When he wants to play, he's probably as good as anybody in this draft as an inside player.”
Throughout the pre-draft process, there were concerns over his consistency between snaps. He also spent time at four different high schools in four years, including Powell and St. Benedict in Tennessee. In college, he transferred from Texas A&M to Ole Miss after his sophomore season.
That move, Nolen said, enabled him to find a scheme that was “made for the defensive line to eat.” At Ole Miss, he jumped from 4.0 sacks to 6.5 and increased his pressure rate from 7.5% to 9.7%.
Still, his repeated transfers amplified some character concerns. For the Cardinals, that creates an intriguing fit. An emphasis on football character has been central to their current regime.
“What we’re convicted on is the people first and then the player,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said last week.
As part of their research on Nolen, they hosted him for one of the 30 allotted visits in which they could interview players at their Tempe facility.
During that visit, Nolen said he could sense “a good vibe … that whole day.”
“Out of everybody, Arizona actually wanted to get to know me,” Nolen said. “They didn't think nothing of what people were saying about me. They came straight to the source. That's the type of person I am, I'm a straightforward person.”
Throughout the draft process, Nolen heard the external concerns.
“Really just that I don't love football, that I'm not a good teammate,” Nolen said. “All the negative things that people try to make come up during this process. But the Cardinals took a chance on me and I'm blessed for that and I can't wait to get there.”
On Thursday, at least one notable voice inside the organization voiced support for the move.
“Walter Nolen, yesssssir!” Kyler Murray wrote on social media. “Trenchwork! Welcome to AZ, big fella.”
Before the draft, Murray had highlighted Nolen as a player who stood out to him from this class.
The selection of Nolen also marks a departure from how Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort had previously operated. In each of their first two drafts, they addressed offensive needs, adding Paris Johnson Jr. with the sixth pick in 2023 and Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick in 2024.
With Nolen, they continued this offseason’s focus on defense. For the most part, the Cardinals’ offense is set to return with the same group next season. They have, to this point, added only depth pieces for coordinator Drew Petzing.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Unicorn? Walter Nolen scouting report to Cardinals in 2025 NFL Draft
Continue reading...
In free agency, the Cardinals added Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson at the position. Now, they add Nolen, who has the potential to become an impact player against both the pass and the run.
As a pass rusher, he finished last season with 6.5 sacks. His 9.7% pressure rate lagged behind some of the top players at the position in this draft class but still ranked 39th among 364 interior defensive linemen with at least 150 pass rush snaps in college football last season.
He was even more productive against the run. He finished with 14 tackles for loss and was Pro Football Focus’ second-highest interior run defender, behind only Mason Graham, who went fifth overall to the Cleveland Browns. He also recorded a healthy 32 stops — tackles that constitute a failure for the offense — on 224 run snaps.
“I'd just say I'm a unicorn to sum it up,” Nolen said . “I can do whatever for you in any given situation, as long as I get the right coaching. I can take it from there.”
The questions facing Nolen are louder off the field. On ESPN’s draft show, Nick Saban said, “When he wants to play, he's probably as good as anybody in this draft as an inside player.”
Throughout the pre-draft process, there were concerns over his consistency between snaps. He also spent time at four different high schools in four years, including Powell and St. Benedict in Tennessee. In college, he transferred from Texas A&M to Ole Miss after his sophomore season.
That move, Nolen said, enabled him to find a scheme that was “made for the defensive line to eat.” At Ole Miss, he jumped from 4.0 sacks to 6.5 and increased his pressure rate from 7.5% to 9.7%.
Still, his repeated transfers amplified some character concerns. For the Cardinals, that creates an intriguing fit. An emphasis on football character has been central to their current regime.
“What we’re convicted on is the people first and then the player,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said last week.
As part of their research on Nolen, they hosted him for one of the 30 allotted visits in which they could interview players at their Tempe facility.
During that visit, Nolen said he could sense “a good vibe … that whole day.”
“Out of everybody, Arizona actually wanted to get to know me,” Nolen said. “They didn't think nothing of what people were saying about me. They came straight to the source. That's the type of person I am, I'm a straightforward person.”
Throughout the draft process, Nolen heard the external concerns.
“Really just that I don't love football, that I'm not a good teammate,” Nolen said. “All the negative things that people try to make come up during this process. But the Cardinals took a chance on me and I'm blessed for that and I can't wait to get there.”
On Thursday, at least one notable voice inside the organization voiced support for the move.
“Walter Nolen, yesssssir!” Kyler Murray wrote on social media. “Trenchwork! Welcome to AZ, big fella.”
Before the draft, Murray had highlighted Nolen as a player who stood out to him from this class.
The selection of Nolen also marks a departure from how Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort had previously operated. In each of their first two drafts, they addressed offensive needs, adding Paris Johnson Jr. with the sixth pick in 2023 and Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick in 2024.
With Nolen, they continued this offseason’s focus on defense. For the most part, the Cardinals’ offense is set to return with the same group next season. They have, to this point, added only depth pieces for coordinator Drew Petzing.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Unicorn? Walter Nolen scouting report to Cardinals in 2025 NFL Draft
Continue reading...
