Is Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen destined to be the 49ers first round pick?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer identified what each team needs know ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft. As you might imagine, help for Robert Saleh is on the way:
First round: No. 11.
Total picks: 11.
Needs: DE, DT, OT, CB.
What you need to know: Depending on what’s available—and in particular if one of the top three tackles makes it here—finding a successor for Trent Williams who could play somewhere else on the offensive line for the time being would seem ideal. But Kyle Shanahan’s always shown a willingness to make it work with less along his offensive front, believing in his own ability to manage that, and Kris Kocurek’s defensive line is losing Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins. One player who’s seen as a particular good fit for their attacking scheme, with Robert Saleh back aboard, is Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen. This would be a bit of a reach, but if they’re O.K. with the football makeup questions (he’s seen as a bit entitled but has done well in his meetings), Nolen is certainly worthy, talent-wise, of going in the same neighborhood as Graham.
The reference about Shanahan’s willingness work with less is why we believe draft pundits will be proven wrong about the Niners selecting an offensive tackle with either of their first couple of picks.
Breer believes Nolen will go higher than he’s being projected in mock drafts. He’s currently projected to go in the mid 20s. In a separate article, Breer mentions Nolen to the Niners again:
Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen may go higher than you think. Some teams believe he projects better to the NFL than Graham. The character/entitlement question is what you have to get past. But if you have solid infrastructure, as well as locker room and defensive line room, the payoff could be big. So if the San Francisco 49ers are willing to take a swing …
The other player who was the staple of the New York Jets defense was Quinnen Williams.
Nolen is nearly an inch taller and seven pounds lighter, with a wingspan that’s about an inch and a half shorter than Williams’. One trait that both have in common: They play with similiar levels of violence.
Nolen is a player I’ve been championing from the get go. Plays like this are why:
Some DTs fire up instead of out, wasting the speed you generate in your first 1-2 steps into power. You’re also not covering any ground. Others are too late/wide with their hands, negating any power advantage.
Here’s Walter Nolen doing the opposite and playing with violence. pic.twitter.com/WvQK6TjGja
— Kyle Posey (@KP_Show) April 21, 2025
Outside of splash plays where Nolen shows the ability to overwhelm offensive linemen, there are a handful of plays in each game where he’s fighting over blocks, holding his ground against double teams, splitting those double teams, and consistently playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
I’ve seen some concerns on social media about Nolen being out of control, on the ground, or not maintaining gap responsbility, and I cannot get on board with those critiques.
I have six games worth of notes on Nolen, and I’ve never came away thinking he’s an undisciplined defensive tackle who is a liability. In fact, it’s been the opposite. I see a player who is used to overwhleming his opponent with sheer power, and has enough counters to win in a variety of ways.
Even better, Nolen lived on the field at Ole Miss last year. He had multiple games of 50+ snaps, and even played over 65 snaps in two games. That’s the sign of an athlete in shape. The 49ers need a defensive tackle who can contribute on every down without getting fatigued. Nolen, among other things, brings that to the table.