Cowboys 2025 draft scouting report: DT Walter Nolen

We proceed our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that might curiosity the Dallas Cowboys. At present we’re taking a look at defensive deal with Walter Nolen from Ole Miss.

Walter Nolen

DTOle Miss RebelsJunior5-star recruit 6’3”305 lbs

Picture by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures

Historical past

Walter Nolen III was born on the 14th October 2003. Initially from Memphis, Tennessee, he performed highschool soccer at a number of colleges, together with Olive Department Excessive College in Mississippi, Saint Benedict at Auburndale in Memphis, and Powell Excessive College in Tennessee, the place he had a standout senior yr. At Powell, he recorded 93 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hurries, and 17 sacks, main his crew to a Class 5A state championship. He was rated because the quantity two general soccer recruit within the 2022 class and was a five-star prospect.

Nolen began his school profession at Texas A&M, the place he performed for 2 seasons, showing in 22 video games and beginning 14. Throughout his time there, he tallied 66 whole tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. In December 2023, he transferred to Ole Miss, the place he turned a key participant in his junior yr of 2024.

At Ole Miss, he began all 13 video games, main the crew with 14 tackles for loss and rating third with seven sacks. His efficiency earned him consensus All-American honors and a spot as a finalist for the Outland Trophy, recognizing him as one of many nation’s prime inside linemen. He achieved all this and solely turned 21 final October.

2024 Statistics

551 Defensive Snaps48 Whole Tackles14 Tackles For Loss30 Whole Pressures7 Sacks3 Go Breakups2 Fumble Recoveries 3 Penalties

NFL Mix/Professional Day

TBC

Awards

All-America (2024)First-Crew All-SEC (2024)

Scorecard

General- 86.0Speed- 84Acceleration- 88Agility- 78Strength- 92Pass Rush- 90Run Protection- 82Tackling- 90Discipline- 95

THE GOOD

Nolen is an elite athlete for his measurement and place.
Has a powerful first-step quickness and go off the road.
His velocity and agility enable him to shoot gaps and penetrate the backfield successfully, making him a disruptive presence in opposition to each the run and go.
He has heavy palms and a stable preliminary punch, enabling him to stun and drive again offensive linemen.
His potential to deal with double groups and preserve leverage is outstanding when he wins early engagements.
Very versatile and has confirmed he can play a number of positions, similar to a 3-technique or 4i-technique, and has proven the flexibility to play on the sting.
He demonstrates a relentless motor, chasing performs from the bottom and ending with depth on each play.

THE BAD

Nolen may be inconsistent together with his pad stage, generally struggling to maintain his pads down.
Struggles to anchor or shed blocks.
His pass-rushing strikes want refinement, as he depends closely on energy and velocity however lacks a various set of counters.
Whereas superb in opposition to the run, he can get washed out or battle to disengage from blocks if he doesn’t win the preliminary engagement.
He wants to enhance hole self-discipline to develop into a extra full defender.
Youth is his greatest weak spot. As a younger participant, he’s nonetheless growing consistency and consciousness. His tape exhibits flashes of brilliance but in addition moments of sloppiness, suggesting he’s not but a elegant prospect.

THE FIT

Standing at 6’3” and weighing over 300 lbs, Nolen has the best construct for an NFL defensive deal with. It’s not onerous to check his 40-yard sprint time to come back in round 4.90- 4.98 seconds, showcasing his velocity and athleticism for his measurement. His mix testing might be large to find out his worth.

Proper now, earlier than the mix, Nolen is seen as a possible mid-to-late first-round decide, with some scouts rating him as a top-10 expertise, which is hard to undertaking at this stage. He’s ideally suited as a one-gap penetrator in an aggressive defensive entrance, the place his explosiveness and energy can wreak havoc. With correct teaching, he has Professional Bowl potential and will develop right into a dominant NFL inside lineman, drawing comparisons to gamers like Sheldon Richardson and even Aaron Donald because of his uncommon athleticism for his measurement.

Nolen is a high-ceiling/low-floor prospect proper now with elite bodily instruments and enhancing manufacturing, however his growth will rely on refining his method and consistency. His points come right down to counter strikes, which he exhibits to have little of, and never with the ability to anchor effectively.

He may very well be a superb match for the Dallas Cowboys, particularly given their defensive wants, however at decide 12 his choice perhaps a tad too wealthy. Buying and selling down within the first, nevertheless, and deciding on him mid-round could be an enormous win for the franchise on this draft.

Nolen’s versatility as a defensive deal with makes him a powerful candidate to play as a 3-technique or 4i and make the most of his explosive first step and skill to penetrate gaps, one thing this Cowboys inside defensive position wants for the time being. Nolen’s potential to generate tackles for loss and sacks would handle their want for a dominant presence within the center. His youth and potential additionally make him a long-term funding to construct round alongside established gamers.

He’s has the scale and energy to deal with the physicality of the NFC East, the place groups just like the Eagles depend on robust offensive strains and operating video games. His relentless motor and aggressive nature would match effectively with the Cowboys’ high-energy protection. Off the sphere, his background as a highly-touted recruit and his success at each Texas A&M and Ole Miss counsel he’s adaptable and coachable, which is essential for Dallas’s development-focused method.

He would instantly contribute as a rotational participant with starter potential, offering strain on quarterbacks and serving to in opposition to the run. Over time, with the suitable teaching, he may develop into a cornerstone of their protection. His presence would additionally enable linebackers like DeMarvion Overshown to make extra performs by occupying blockers.

COMPARISON:

Sheldon Richardson, Minnesota Vikings

BTB GRADE:

twenty seventh

CONSENSUS RANKING:

twenty second(Consensus rating based mostly on the typical rating from 90 main scoring companies, together with BTB)