Walter Nolen III Fantasy Stats

Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round defensive tackle Walker Nolen III has impressed coaches and teammates right away during OTAs and minicamp and looks the part while fitting into a veteran defensive line room from not only a physical perspective, but also while standing out on the field at practice, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "He has unbelievable lateral quickness. Very few players can go kind of backdoor and to come down the line and make a [tackle for loss]," veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. "He's one of those guys that has that unique ability where he has quickness. His quickness is different level, and he has good instincts." The 21-year-old 6-foot-4, 296-pounder had 14 tackles for loss and a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024 at Ole Miss. Nolen won't be on the IDP fantasy radar in 2025, but he could be a key pass-rusher on the interior in Arizona before long.

The Arizona Cardinals looked to solidify their defense with their first-round pick on Thursday night, taking Walter Nolen, a defensive tackle from Ole Miss at No. 16 overall. Nolen was a first-team AP All-American after setting a career high with 14.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2024. He was a finalist for the 2024 Outland Trophy after starting all 13 games last season for the Rebels. Nolen becomes the latest part of a major pass-rush overhaul in Arizona this offseason. The team already brought in Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson as free agents and also brought back Calais Campbell to anchor the defensive line. The Cardinals' pass rush should be much improved in 2025, and they'll hope Nolen will be a big part of it for years to come.