The Philadelphia Eagles were left with an unexpected roster gap after defensive tackle Milton Williams capitalized on a breakout regular season and a standout performance in the Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, securing a lucrative free agency deal.
Williams shocked the football world by signing a four-year, $104 million contract with the New England Patriots on March 10. Now, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projects that the Eagles will fill the void by selecting Ole Miss All-American defensive tackle Walter Nolen with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of his latest mock draft.
“This would mark the third time in four years that the Eagles have drafted a defensive tackle, as GM Howie Roseman has consistently prioritized strengthening the trenches in the first round,” Kiper Jr. noted. “Nolen is a disruptive force with explosive traits and powerful hands. He recorded 6.5 sacks and 15 run stops last season. And while he didn’t play at Georgia, he continues the Eagles’ trend of targeting SEC defensive tackles.”
Though losing Williams might create concerns for some teams, the Eagles remain confident. That’s largely due to the presence of Jalen Carter, their 2023 first-round pick, who is considered one of the league’s top defensive tackles and a generational talent at the position.
Nolen Nation’s No. 1 Overall Recruit in 2022
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 296 pounds, Walter Nolen was the nation’s top overall recruit and the USA Today National Defensive Player of the Year for the Class of 2022 while playing at Powell High School in Tennessee.
Nolen began his college career at Texas A&M, spending two seasons there before transferring to Ole Miss ahead of the 2024 season. Under head coach Lane Kiffin, he had a breakout year, recording career highs with 48 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 12 tackles for loss. His impressive performance earned him All-SEC and All-American honors before he declared early for the NFL Draft.
According to Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder, Nolen is projected as a “Day 1 Starter” in his pre-draft evaluation.
“Nolen possesses all the tools to become a starter within his first two years in the NFL, with Pro Bowl or even All-Pro potential down the road,” Holder wrote. “His versatility makes him an asset in multiple schemes, whether as a 3-technique in even fronts or a 4i-technique in odd fronts.”
Eagles Have Legendary SEC Pipeline in NFL Draft
Howie Roseman and the Eagles have built a near-legendary pipeline of SEC talent in recent NFL drafts—players who have been key to the defense and helped propel the team to a Super Bowl victory.
In the 2022 and 2023 drafts, Philadelphia selected five former Georgia players, with three of them being picked in consecutive first rounds. In 2022, they chose defensive tackle Jordan Davis with the 13th overall pick, and in 2023, they followed up with defensive tackle Jalen Carter (No. 9 overall) and outside linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (No. 30 overall).
Among these players, Carter might be the biggest standout. He had a breakout 2023 season, earning NFL All-Pro honors and making his first Pro Bowl appearance. Carter finished the 2024 season with 42 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, 6 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles.
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