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Report: Walter Nolen lines up several visits ahead of 2025 NFL Draft

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•about 20 hours
NCAA Football: Kentucky at Mississippi
Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Walter Nolen (2) waits for the snap during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The 2025 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and that means visits are in full swing for top prospects. Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen has had several.

According to a report from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Nolen has visited the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers already. He’s also set to visit the Cincinnati Bengals today and has future visits lined up with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers after that.

Clearly the talented lineman is drawing plenty of interest. And rightly so.

Walter Nolen is coming off a season in which he logged career highs with 48 tackles, 14.0 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and three passes defended. He did that at Ole Miss, transferring to the Rebels after spending two seasons with the Texas A&M Aggies out of high school.

In his career, Nolen has totaled 114 tackles, 26.0 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and four passes defended. That’s quality production for an interior lineman.

Prior to enrolling at Texas A&M, Walter Nolen was ranked as the top overall player in the country in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the top defensive lineman in the class and the No. 1 overall player from the state of Tennessee, hailing from Powell (TN) Powell.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Walter Nolen

Nolen is an explosive player off the line of scrimmage, one of the reasons he was ranked as the top recruit in the country three years ago. That should translate well to the next level.

Still, there are some areas Walter Nolen can improve in. The NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein writes the following in evaluating Nolen as a prospect:

“Nolen has NFL-starting size but won’t blow you away with his physical traits. However, he gains quick advantages with his explosiveness into contact and ability to beat up blockers when singled up. He has the athletic talent to play into gaps but needs to play with better hands to keep himself clean at the point of attack.

“He wins as a rusher with his athleticism and play strength, and doesn’t need to be schemed for. The pass rush still requires refinement, but he already flashes quick-win moves that foreshadow good pressure and sack production as a pro. Nolen’s blend of explosiveness and playmaking talent create high upside as a three-down interior lineman.”