Player Description
Name: Walter Nolen
School: Ole Miss
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Junior
Height: 6'3 1/4
Weight: 293 lbs
Draft Projection: Mid Day 1 to Early Day 2
Strengths:
Possesses natural lower-body strength
Exhibits rare twitch and burst for his size
Demonstrates incredible athleticism
Capable of playing multiple positions along the line
Shows good pass-rush bend for his size
Highly productive playmaker
Physical at the point of attack
Excellent closing speed
Reliable run defender
Decent arsenal of pass-rush moves
Quick and heavy hands
Able to get skinny going through gaps
High motor
Weaknesses:
When coming out of his stance, Nolen tends to stand up, which creates issues when trying to win leverage against opposing offensive linemen. His balance problems when pass rushing stem from this tendency, resulting in missed opportunities to make more plays in the backfield.
Weighing in at just under 300 lbs (293 lbs), there are genuine concerns about Nolen's performance against bigger offensive linemen in run situations. He struggles to anchor against double teams, a problem also related to his pad level. Nolen is susceptible to getting stuck on blocks despite having decent length, which hinders his ability to disengage and make plays in both pass and run situations.
As a pass rusher, Nolen relies somewhat excessively on his athleticism rather than using his hands to separate and maneuver against opposing linemen. Overall, Nolen is not yet a fully refined pass rusher and will need to find a way to blend his athleticism with technique.
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