Three Ole Miss Rebels Taken in First Round of Recent NFL Mock Draft

Could the Ole Miss Rebels have a trio of names called in the first round of this year's NFL Draft?

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Princely Umanmielen (1) lines up before the snap during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss defensive lineman Walter Nolen has long been projected as a potential first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but according to a recent mock draft from CBS Sports, he isn't the first Rebel to hear his name called in April.

In fact, he's the third.

CBS Sports currently projects that edge rusher Princely Umanmielen and cornerback Trey Amos will be selected in the first round of this year's NFL Draft along with Nolen, marking three Ole Miss Rebels who could be in for a big payday this spring.

Umanmielen is the first Ole Miss player on the list, coming in with the No. 17 overall pick from the Cincinnati Bengals. If this pick was accurate, Umanmielen would become the latest Ole Miss player to suit up in Cincinnati, joining the likes of Daijahn Anthony, Cedric Johnson and Mike Hilton who call the Bengals home.

Umanmielen finished the regular season with 34 tackles, 13 TFLs, 10.5 sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and despite dealing with injuries partway through the campaign, he made an impressive mark on what became a formidable front seven for the Rebels this year.

Next on the list is cornerback Trey Amos who is projected to go 29th overall to the Buffalo Bills. Amos certainly boosted his draft stock this season after a productive first and only campaign in Oxford, racking up 50 total tackles (39 solo), 13 passes defended, one forced fumble and three interceptions in the regular season as the Rebels' most productive option at cornerback.

Finally, we get to Walter Nolen who is projected to go 31st overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished the regular season with 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks while also batting down three passes and recovering two fumbles.

If Nolen were to be chosen by the Chiefs, he would join former Mississippi State standout and Magnolia State native Chris Jones on the Kansas City defensive front.

All three of these players were "one-year" additions for Ole Miss out of the transfer portal, so it appears that coach Lane Kiffin's moniker of "The Portal King" is paying off, at least where NFL Draft prospects are concerned.