Ole Miss Football 2026 NFL Recap: This Rebels Standout Selected By Arizona Cardinals

Pete Golding and Co. see a pair of Rebels selected this year, standout offensive lineman heading to Arizona.

Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels offensive lineman Jayden Williams (50) and offensive lineman Patrick Kutas (75) block during the fourth quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Ole Miss football offensive lineman Jayden Williams was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft, which wrapped up three days of picks in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Williams joins wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (Round 2, 33rd overall, San Francisco 49ers) as Rebel draftees this season, the sixth in a row and 10th of the last 11 in which multiple Ole Miss players have heard their names called.

Williams is the first Ole Miss offensive lineman taken in the NFL Draft since 2023, when Nick Broeker went to the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round (No. 230 overall), and Williams is the highest taken since Royce Newman went to the Green Bay Packers in 2021 in the fourth round (No. 142 overall).

In Arizona, Williams will join former teammate and 2025 first round selection Walter Nolen. Williams is the first Ole Miss offensive lineman chosen by the Cardinals since taking Bobby Massie in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft (No. 112 overall).

Williams – a native of Conway, Arkansas – has been a mainstay on the offensive line for Ole Miss, starting 34 of 45 career games played during his career with the Rebels. After redshirting in 2021, Williams jumped right in and started all 13 games, earning freshman All-America honors after playing nearly 1,000 snaps as the blind-side protector for a prolific 2022 Rebel offense.

Injuries impacted Williams' junior season in 2024, playing in six games and starting at left tackle in each of the first four before missing most of the rest of the season. Williams bounced back in 2025 with a move to right tackle, starting all 15 games on the right side for the first team in Ole Miss history to make the College Football Playoff.

New addition to the #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/cOU4siS7Ui

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 25, 2026

Per PFF, Williams was Ole Miss' top-rated starting offensive lineman in 2025, earning a 69.7 season grade in 1,082 snaps with a pass blocking grade of 78.5 – also the best among Rebel starting linemen. Williams earned SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week honors following his performance against South Carolina.

Several other Rebels could potentially be targets for undrafted free agent contracts in the coming days.

OLE MISS REBELS IN THE 2026 NFL DRAFT
Round 2, Pick 33 – De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Round 7, Pick 217 – Jayden Williams, OT, Arizona Cardinals

*This Story is Courtesy of Ole Miss Football Press Release.*

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