Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen is one of the 2025 NFL Draft’s hottest commodities at defensive tackle. In Field Yates’ latest mock draft for ESPN, the NFL analyst foresees Nolen being selected 11th overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
In Yates’ opinion, Nolen will be the second interior defensive lineman off the board behind Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Nolen is a smaller hybrid pass rusher than the 330-pound run-stopping Graham. Although he’s a bonafide first-rounder, he’s a tier below where current Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was as a prospect two years ago. Here’s what Yates had to say about Nolen to the 49ers.
“The 49ers have major work to do along the defensive line and perhaps a few other spots after losing multiple starters on both sides of the ball this offseason. Nolen would be a play-wrecker for them. He is overwhelmingly powerful and explosive, and he could help replace veterans Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave. Nolen had 6.5 sacks in his lone season at Ole Miss after two years at Texas A&M. In a league that has put an increased premium on pass-rushing defensive tackles, he would provide San Francisco with a valuable building block.”
Walter Nolen is one of the most sought-after 2025 defensive tackle prospects
Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 296 pounds, Nolen is an impressive pass rusher with a quick first step which allows him to shoot the gap and directly pressure dropback passers up the middle. During the 2024 season, Nolen logged 6.5 sacks, 35 pressures, and 30 stops.
He’s an ideal pick for the 49ers, who recently released Hargrave after two seasons. For coming to San Francisco, Hargrave was plucked from Philadelphia, where he established himself as one of the league’s best interior past rushers in 2022. Unfortunately, in two seasons with San Francisco, he was unable to replicate that success.
The 49ers also released defensive tackle Maliek Collins, 29. A year ago, the 49ers also declined to resign defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, their first-round pick in the 2020 draft. Presumably, that gap on the interior of their defensive line is what Nolen should address. Handling their dearth of interior defensive linemen is long overdue, even if it’s not as appealing as a quick edge rusher or identifying a long-term solution at left tackle.