Walter Nolen selected by Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the NFL Draft

Nolen has been the total package since his early teens

Powell's Walter Nolen (1) celebrates a touchdown during the TSSAA Class 5A BlueCross Bowl football game between Powell and Page held at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

As football players go, they don't get much bigger than Walter Nolen.

Size. Hype.

Nolen has been the total package since his early teens. That package is now headed to Arizona Cardinals, who selected Nolen with the No. 16 overall pick of the first round, in Thursday's 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay.

Coming out of Powell High School (Tennessee) in the class of 2022, the 6-foot-4, 325-pound defensive tackle was ESPN's No. 1 overall prospect and sat at No. 2 in the 247Sports rankings.

As a senior, Nolen led Powell to a Class 5A state championship, registering 85 total tackles, 22 tackles-for-loss, 17 sacks, six forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

But given his (future NFL) blend of size and athleticism, the five-star recruit was also used as a goalline back and scored six touchdowns on just eight carries

"That's not even fair," an announcer said watching "Refrigerator" Nolen rumble into the endzone in a quarterfinal matchup.

Walter Nolen leaps over some Golden Eagles for another Powell touchdown! pic.twitter.com/gRRWjEWm25

— RIVALRY THURSDAY (@rivalrythursday) November 20, 2021

As a recruit, Nolen accumulated more than 20 scholarship offers from the nation's top programs - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others.

But he took official visits to four programs - Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Nolen eventually committed to the Aggies, becoming the headliner of arguably the greatest recruiting class ever assembled (on paper).

The group had eight five-star recruits and included Nolen, Shemar Stewart and LT Overton.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"Good height and barrel-chested build with massive overall size. Wears significant weight quite well and arrives on campus immediately capable of competing at the high-major level from a physical standpoint. Not only broad and filled out, but owns good length as well. Powerful build manifests in point-of-attack disruption. Flashes consistent suddenness at the snap with playmaking speed-to-power athleticism. Punchy and violent with his hands. Closes fast in pursuit. Shows outstanding lateral range relative to size. Motor runs hot. Strong enough to make plays through blocks. Can also run plays down from back side. Has posted outstanding verified testing numbers for a player of his size. Heavy-handedness and activity with his big paws will become even more dangerous as pass-rush move set expands. Given his size will need to monitor conditioning and maintain athleticism, which has not been an issue to date. Deep tool set should provide for varied role and scheme versatility. One of the top overall prospects in the 2022 class. Should become impact high-major defensive lineman with NFL Draft first-round potential."

After two unspectacular seasons at Texas A&M, Nolen transferred to Ole Miss and blossomed.

He registered 48 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 sacks this fall and re-established himself as an elite NFL draft prospect, earning first-team All-American and All-SEC honors.

Projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick in April's draft, Nolen still has sky-high potential - even if reaching it remains a work-in-progress.

Here's what PFF had to say about him, rating him the draft's No. 8 overall prospect:

"Nolen isn't the most polished interior defender, but he might be among the most physically gifted. If he continues to grow in his pre-snap plan and hand usage, he can be an impactful, versatile defensive tackle with a high floor due to his strength in run defense."

So, even if it took a circuitous route to stardom, Nolen appears to be delivering on his immense teen promise.

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