Cardinals sign 1st-round pick Walter Nolen to rookie deal

Syndication: Arizona Republic

GLENDALE – ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that the Arizona Cardinals have officially signed their first-round pick from the 2025 draft Walter Nolen to a rookie contract. The former Ole Miss defensive tackle’s deal is a four-year, $19.3 million contract that includes a $10.7 million signing bonus. Nolen is the penultimate name for this year’s rookie class to sign with Arizona, with second-round cornerback Will Johnson still unsigned at this moment.

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What Nolen brings the Cardinals:

Nolen was one of the premier defensive tackles in his draft class, with his three-year college career filled with impressive feats. In his first two years, Nolen was at Texas A&M and appeared in 22 games recording five sacks and 12 tackles for loss. After transferring to Ole Miss, he surpassed both of those numbers in his lone season with the Rebels, eclipsing 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

The All-American had the second-best production score of any defensive tackle at the combine. At 6’4 and nearly 300 pounds, Nolen is a beast interior defensive lineman that stuffs holes in the opposing run game. Ole Miss had the best run defense in the nation last year, and Nolen deserves a bulk of the credit.

General manager Monti Ossenfort signed Calais Campbell to return to the franchise after nearly a decade. Campbell is a six-time Pro Bowler and will be a guiding hand for the young Nolen to achieve the level of success the 38-year-old has had in his career thus far.

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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports