Walter Nolen Breaks The Pocket

My first impression of Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen…

VIOLENT

TENACIOUS

PHYSICAL

These would be the first three words I would use if I were a scout in a team’s pre-draft meetings and it was my turn to talk about this prospect.

Nolen brings it

From there, I would go into what he looks like on game film as a pass-rusher.

Nolen loves physicality. I can tell by how hard he plays and how relentless he is ⎯the sound of the pads cracking ⎯the stinging collisions. Nolen hits like boxer Mike Tyson popped opponents in the mouth.

Nolen is thirsty for contact ⎯my kind of D-Tackle.

He hits people so hard that he sometimes hurts himself.

Nolen has what it takes ⎯the mentality ⎯the nature ⎯the brutality ⎯to play bumper cars with the big boys in the trenches ⎯where nine grown men collectively weighing approximately 2,675 pounds get together and beat the blood, sweat, and tears out of each other on every snap.

That’s the PG-13 version.

Set hut

Nolen is sudden at the snap.

His first step is inconsistent, but when he’s on his game, he comes out of his pre-snap stance like a Pop-Tart. That quickness reminded me of former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Russell Maryland.

Nolen’s hands are quick ⎯he’s a real handful.

Teams responded with a good amount of extra blockers (I tallied 78 double teams). Offensive linemen ⎯whether one, two, or three, found themselves trying to keep him out of the pocket while engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes it was enough, sometimes it wasn’t. Nolen either bull rushed ’em or did his best to squeeze and propel his weight and power through the slightest of creases in the gaps.

Before I get too carried away I have to balance this out and say he’s not all-out like this on every play. Frankly, as high energy as he is, I don’t think he can put himself into every play like he does when he takes over. It’s too draining. He went into hibernation mode against Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest, and Georgia Southern. However, he does his thing enough to make a difference, and finding difference-makers is what this is all about.

Yeah, he gets after it.

What about run defense?

This is where the effort level shows up. He fought to make assists and tackles.

2024:

• 48 tackles
• 25 solo
• 14 tackles for loss

Character concerns?

I want to address the “elephant in the room.”

People are throwing it out there that there are “character concerns,” about Nolen, but nobody is saying what they are, so I will take that with a grain of salt.

I need evidence.

The “reports” out there don’t say what the concerns are or cite the sources. I don’t know if there are legitimate character concerns or not about Nolen, but I feel like what’s out there is more of a character assassination attempt because of the lack of proof. That’s my interpretation of vague and sourceless reports.

#2 Walter Nolen 6-foot-3, 305 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2025 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

(M) Medical Risk

10/14/23 (left leg), 9/7/24 (left leg), 10/26/24(left knee), 1/29/25 (unconfirmed injury report)

Projected by 61.7% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of March 13, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film evaluated: Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State, and Duke (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Weight notes: 2023 (320 to 285), 2024 (290 to 305), Senior Bowl 2025 (293), and NFL Combine 2025 (296)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

High energy short-area bully who affects games. Human battering ram. High-impact plays. Strong-willed. Good effort. Explosive. Capable of locking out and creating separation at the point of attack. Pass rush moves: head-fake, swim, and rip moves. Below average on “X” stunts. Doesn’t redirect quickly enough due to extra weight in his midsection. Showed short-area acceleration and burst into the pocket. Quick close. Average long-distance football speed. Gives second efforts. Inconsistent shed vs. run. Questionable how well he takes care of his body.

Final words

Nolen is one of my favorite defensive tackle prospects since 2021.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.