School: Ole Miss
Year: Jr
Position: DL

Physical Attributes

• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 305
• RAS: DNC
• Bench Press: 27

Rankings

• Joe’s Ranking: 6.8
• Consensus Position Rank: 2
• My Position Ranking: 3
• Difference in Ranking: -1
• Tier: 3
• Projected Round: 2

Games Watched

• Florida ’24
• Georgia ’24

Ryan’s Notes

Positives

• Nolen’s performance against Florida was eye-catching, displaying rare quickness and power from the interior defensive line.
• He consistently beat blockers with swim moves, lateral agility, and the ability to slip through contact with ease.
• His balance and core strength allowed him to fight through secondary engagement while still pursuing the ball.
• He showed excellent instincts in the run game — not just blowing up gaps but extending across multiple lanes to contain cutbacks.
• His ability to anchor versus double teams and then disengage is a major plus for gap-control schemes like two-gap or gap-and-a-half systems.
• As a pass rusher, he flashed a dangerous rip-and-dip move from the 3-tech position, collapsing the pocket with authority.
• At his best, he’s an explosive interior penetrator who can complement a defensive line that already has established size.

Negatives

• Nolen’s dominant Florida game is more of an outlier than the norm — consistency across matchups remains a concern.
• Against larger, more physical guards (as seen vs
• Georgia), his lack of ideal size and length became a major limitation.
• At a lighter weight with shorter arms, he struggles to gain leverage and lift underneath pad level — a key tool for undersized DTs.
• He tends to get overwhelmed when forced to go through blockers rather than around them, especially in man-on-man scenarios.
• Nolen’s hand usage doesn’t always overcome his physical disadvantages, making it harder for him to reset and re-engage when initially stopped.
• There are legitimate concerns about building a front around him due to his stature and matchup vulnerability.

Ryan’s Summary

Walter Nolen put together one of the most dominant individual defensive line performances of the season against Florida, showcasing the full range of his explosiveness, technique, and motor. However, that standout performance contrasts sharply with other games where his physical limitations are more apparent. While he offers valuable upside as a disruptive interior piece, his size and length may prevent him from being a foundational defensive lineman, which slightly tempers his draft stock. His projection is more of a specialist or complimentary disruptor than a centerpiece, which likely nudges him out of first-round consideration.