Walter Nolen 2025 NFL Draft: Ole Miss DT Scouting Report
Coming out of Ole Miss, Walter Nolen is a powerful and athletic defensive tackle. In a talented 2025 NFL Draft class, he is one of the more versatile prospects who can excel in the NFL as a DT. Today, we’ll be breaking down his NFL outlook in this scouting report. We will be breaking down his strengths, areas for improvement, and his potential NFL Draft grade.
Walter Nolen 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Walter Nolen is a dynamic defensive tackle with a rare blend of size, power, and athleticism. A former top recruit, he possesses the explosiveness and versatility to be a disruptive force along the defensive line. During his time at Ole Miss, his talents were on full display. His combination of raw strength, quick hands, and lateral mobility allows him to impact both the run and pass game.
Despite all of his impressive traits, Nolen still has areas to refine. Specifically, pad level, hand placement, and block-shedding consistency. However, his physical gifts and relentless motor make him one of the most intriguing interior defensive linemen in college football. Continue reading to learn about Nolen’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Strengths
Elite First-Step Explosiveness: Fires off the ball quickly, beating offensive linemen and disrupting backfields.
Power/Strength: Strong anchor, capable of holding the point of attack and collapsing the pocket.
Athleticism for Size: Moves fluidly with rare lateral agility, able to change direction effortlessly.
Pass Rush Upside: Uses rips, swims, and cross-chops to disengage blockers; effective at converting speed to power.
Versatility: Has experience at multiple techniques (0-5), best suited as a 3-tech.
Violent Hands: Heavy and powerful on initial contact, stunning blockers and controlling engagements.
Run-Game Disruption: Strong against combo blocks, works through down blocks, and rarely gets washed out.
Scheme Recognition: Processes screens and RPOs quickly, staying disciplined in containment.
Motor Effort: A high-motor player who plays to the whistle.
Areas for Improvement
Pad Level Issues: Pops up too high out of his stance, losing leverage and making it easier for linemen to control him.
Hand Usage Consistency: Needs to refine counter moves when initial rush fails; can be late or miss with placement.
Balance Concerns: Occasionally loses his base and gets displaced by combo blocks.
Block Shedding: While powerful, he must improve stacking and disengaging from blocks in the run game.
Instincts Processing Speed: Has improved but still hesitates when diagnosing plays, affecting reaction time.
Finishing Ability: Generates pressures but needs to convert more of them into sacks and tackles for loss.
Conclusion
Overall, Nolen’s skill set makes him a high-upside defensive tackle. Moving forward, he certainly has the ability to dominate as he refines his technique. His explosiveness, power, and versatility give him the tools to thrive in multiple defensive schemes, especially as a 3-technique. This explosiveness should be on full display at the NFL Combine.
Ultimately, if Nolen can improve his pad level, hand counters, and finishing ability, he has the potential to develop into an elite interior presence at the next level. With continued growth, Nolen could be a major force and a future impact player at the NFL level.
Round Grade: Round 2
Stats: Per Sports Reference
| Season | Team | G | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sk | PD | FR |
| 2022 | Texas A&M | 10 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023* | Texas A&M | 12 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024* | Ole Miss | 13 | 25 | 23 | 14 | 6.5 | 3 | 2 |
| Career | 35 | 62 | 52 | 26 | 11.5 | 4 | 3 |
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