Mykel Williams and Walter Nolen were targets for the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Arizona Cardinals entered the 2025 NFL Draft with a clear agenda—reinforce the trenches and build a defense capable of withstanding the high-powered offenses in the NFC West. Armed with two first-round picks, the Cardinals zeroed in on two of the most dominant defensive linemen in college football: Georgia’s Mykel Williams and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen. Though the team ultimately had to make a tough choice between the two, both players represented a perfect encapsulation of the franchise’s rebuilding philosophy—raw power, upside, and immediate impact potential.

Arizona’s 2024 campaign was a mixture of progress and frustration. The offense, led by a healthy Kyler Murray, flashed promise, but the defense ranked near the bottom in several major statistical categories, including sacks and rushing yards allowed. General manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon both emphasized after the season that the Cardinals lacked physicality up front.

“We want to dominate the line of scrimmage,” Gannon said in his pre-draft press conference. “That starts with guys who can change the game from the inside out.”

That statement set the tone for a draft board filled with defensive linemen, and at the top of that list were Mykel Williams and Walter Nolen.

Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 265 pounds, Mykel Williams is a prototype edge/defensive end hybrid who flashed early in his Georgia career and developed into one of the most technically sound defenders in college football. A five-star recruit out of Columbus, Georgia, Williams was a force in the SEC. In his junior season, he tallied 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, earning All-SEC honors and cementing his status as a top-tier draft prospect.

What separated Williams from his peers was his versatility. At Georgia, he played everywhere along the defensive line—from a stand-up edge to a 3-technique defensive tackle in passing situations. This kind of positional flexibility made him particularly attractive to a Cardinals defense that often uses hybrid fronts.

NFL scouts raved about his explosiveness off the snap, his hand usage, and his ability to diagnose plays. He ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the combine, showcased a 35-inch vertical jump, and nailed all positional drills. There were few questions about whether Williams could transition to the next level—he looked NFL-ready from the moment he declared.

“Williams has All-Pro upside,” said ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid. “His football IQ combined with his physical tools makes him the kind of player who can lead a defense.”

If Williams was finesse, Walter Nolen was fury. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound defensive tackle from Ole Miss—who originally began his college career at Texas A&M—was one of the most dominant interior linemen in the country during the 2024 season. After transferring to Oxford, Nolen thrived in Pete Golding’s aggressive scheme, posting 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss—numbers almost unheard of for a nose or 1-technique tackle.

Nolen’s calling card was brute strength and violent hands. He often occupied double teams and still collapsed the pocket, making life easier for his linebackers and defensive ends. At the NFL level, his best fit is likely in a 4-3 scheme as a 1-tech or 3-tech defensive tackle, but he could also thrive in odd fronts given his ability to two-gap and clog running lanes.

At the combine, Nolen surprised scouts by running a 5.00-second 40-yard dash and putting up 34 reps on the bench press, showing both athleticism and raw power. For a team like Arizona, who finished 28th in run defense and struggled to generate pressure without blitzing, Nolen represented an opportunity to immediately shift the dynamic at the point of attack.

“He’s a tone-setter,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. “Put him in the middle of a defense and you’ll instantly feel his impact on every snap.”

With two top-20 picks in the first round, the Cardinals had the rare luxury of optionality. Holding the No. 4 overall pick from their own record and the No. 17 pick from a prior trade, Arizona could afford to chase value without abandoning need. Early mock drafts varied—some had the Cardinals selecting Williams at No. 4, others had them trading down and grabbing Nolen later.

The internal debate inside the war room reportedly boiled down to positional value versus trench dominance. Williams, with his edge-rush ability and third-down prowess, offered a quicker return on investment. Nolen, while perhaps not as flashy, was a building block—someone who could anchor the defense for a decade.

“I think the decision wasn’t easy,” an anonymous NFC scout said. “They had two blue-chip guys, both perfect fits. It came down to who would be there when they picked again.”

When the draft unfolded, Arizona decided not to risk waiting. With the No. 4 pick, they selected Mykel Williams, believing his ceiling as a game-wrecking edge rusher was too high to pass up. The team then explored the possibility of moving up from No. 17 to select Nolen, but ultimately, he was taken off the board earlier than expected by the Seattle Seahawks at No. 14.

Williams’ selection drew rave reviews from national pundits, especially considering Arizona’s need for a pass-rusher to pair with rising linebacker BJ Ojulari and veteran Dennis Gardeck.

“This is a home run,” said Mel Kiper Jr. “Williams has the motor, the athleticism, and the SEC pedigree. He’s exactly what Jonathan Gannon needs to create pressure with four.”

Williams spoke glowingly of Arizona following his selection. “They’ve got a plan, and I want to be the guy who helps execute it,” he told reporters. “Coach Gannon showed me clips of how he sees me fitting into that defense, and it just clicked.”

Though the Cardinals were thrilled with their pick, some fans and analysts still wondered what might have been had the team prioritized the interior with Nolen. Arizona hasn’t had a true difference-making defensive tackle since Calais Campbell left in 2017, and in a division with Christian McCaffrey and the run-heavy 49ers, there’s an argument to be made for addressing the middle first.

“I love Williams,” said NFL analyst Louis Riddick. “But Nolen could’ve changed the way this team stops the run. He’s that rare.”

Had the Cardinals managed to move up again in the first round and land both players, it would’ve been a draft for the ages. Instead, they made a calculated decision, betting on a dynamic pass-rusher to help dictate terms in the modern NFL.

The Cardinals are still very much a work in progress. They’ve stockpiled picks, added veteran depth, and built through the trenches over the past two offseasons. But Mykel Williams represents more than a first-round pick—he’s the cornerstone of a cultural shift.

He’s expected to start from Day 1 as a strong-side defensive end, rotating inside on passing downs. In minicamp, he’s already turned heads with his conditioning, leadership, and vocal presence. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis has said they’ll be designing packages to get him one-on-one with guards, believing that’s where he can dominate early.

Meanwhile, the team has not ruled out addressing the interior further, either via free agency or in next year’s draft, possibly revisiting a player like Nolen should he become available via trade—an unlikely but not impossible scenario in the modern NFL.

In the end, the Cardinals’ choice to draft Mykel Williams over Walter Nolen came down to fit, ceiling, and timing. While Nolen would’ve offered dominance inside, Williams gives Arizona the rare pass-rusher every team covets—someone who can turn third-and-long into a punt and make quarterbacks uncomfortable for four quarters.

The Cardinals may have passed on Nolen, but in selecting Williams, they doubled down on pressure, disruption, and athleticism. It was a choice that may define the next decade of defense in the desert.