In 2022, Texas A&M’s recruiting class was hailed as one of the best all time by all of the scouting services. Now a couple of years later, the football landscape is seeing some of the top recruits in that class making their names onto draft boards and mock drafts. The highest recruit of that class, Walter Nolen, is looking to make his name into the NFL.
Walter Nolen was one of the top recruits coming out of the class of 2022. Hailing from Powell, Tennessee, Walter started his career with the Aggies and totaled 5 career sacks with the Aggies before transferring to Ole Miss last year. This season so far, Walter has 31 tackles (16 solo), 3 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries for the Rebels.
PLAYER INFO
Name: Walter Nolen
Position: DL
Jersey: No. 2
Class: Junior
School: Ole Miss
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 305
STRENGTHS
Walter has solid size for the position. He has solid strength and physicality, allowing him to take on blocks at the point of attack. He has solid athleticism for his size and position, as it shows when he lines up all over the defensive line, showing his versatility. He has a effective bull rush, which helps him when he goes against offensive linemen. His athleticism helps him be a looper and penetrator on the line. When taking on blocks, he keeps his base wide so he doesn’t get thrown around when taking on blocks. He has a solid motor, not taking many plays off.
WEAKNESSES
His arms seem to be short, which causes him to struggle disengaging from blockers and limits his extension. While he has a solid bull rush, he does not have a strong counter move often relying too much on his bull rush. He can improve the timing of his hands, as his hand placement time is inconsistent.
PROJECTION
I see Walter as a late Day 1/early Day 2 pick. He can fit a lot of systems by being lined up in the 3 or 4 technique, depending on the front.
Teams that I can see Nolen fitting with:
- Buffalo Bills: The Bills have a roster that needs to win in the playoffs and adding someone like Nolen to the defensive line group can really help make a solid defense even better.
- Green Bay Packers: Kenny Clark is still one of the most underrated linemen in the NFL but he is almost 30. Nolen can come in and develop while rotating on the line, and give DC Jeff Hafley options on where to line him up.
- Houston Texans: The Texans have a bright defense, and Nolen can give them their number one interior defensive linemen to add on a defense that looks to be one of the best for years to come.
