Truly dominant prospects used their week at this year's Senior Bowl to establish themselves as high-ranking players in the 2025 NFL Draft. One talent who was a difference-maker throughout all three padded practice sessions (Tuesday through Thursday) was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Nolen solidified that his on-field capabilities are worthy of a top 32 selection in Mobile.
Nolen entered his week in Mobile with a reputation as one of the SEC's most capable prospects. A junior transfer from Texas A&M to Oxford, Nolen showed himself to be a downright dominant prospect, totaling a career-high 6.5 sacks and a tied-for-the-team-lead 14.5 tackles for loss, 10th-most in Ole Miss single-season history. It was more of the same under the Senior Bowl’s competitive lights, where rare movement skills and first-step quickness were routinely on display.
While many talents with similar reputations opted out of Thursday's third and final padded practice session, Nolen wasn't among them. He chose to continue highlighting his potential future All-Pro capabilities in front of NFL scouts and decision-makers. He did not disappoint, consistently creating havoc during one-on-one drills and team periods, getting penetration, and pressuring the backfield.
Nolen's game presents a well-rounded skill set. Speed and power, the ability to convert one to the other, is present in bunches. Even when going through positional drills, Nolen's suddenness and violent urgency were eye-popping.
Ole Miss IDL Walter Nolen speed and power looks like a Top 10 lock pic.twitter.com/7YPZ36aw4L
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) January 30, 2025
It was in team periods though, the closest thing Nolen has had to live in-game reps since a late-November regular-season finale versus Mississippi State, a 1.5 sack showing, that Nolen's capabilities really shined through. An impeccable get-off granted him entrance into the backfield immediately on one particular snap. It was the definition of first-step quickness, showing off the kind of off-the-ball timing that can only be gained through repetition.
Walter Nolen the definition of first step quickness !!! Quick Work pic.twitter.com/rzz6P6mUBJ
— Coach K | Keith Sanchez (@TheTalentCode) January 30, 2025
"I’m the next Aaron Donald," Nolen boldly and exclusively told The Draft Network in January. "I’m a younger, upcoming version of Aaron Donald. I'm going to Mobile to prove to everybody that I’m one of the best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft."
There's no bolder proclamation a prospect can make. While we'll pump the brakes on comparisons to arguably the greatest defensive player in the history of professional football, Nolen's confidence brightens a room. In Mobile, he practiced with that familiar sense of belief. There was no room for self-doubt, a personality trait evaluators will appreciate, one that was evident via his on-field approach.
Analyzing all three padded practices, Nolen was among the Senior Bowl's five standout performers. Do big boards require adjusting as a result? Nolen arrived in Mobile with first-round grades from many scouts, only reinforcing most league-wide beliefs. If, for whatever reason, he wasn't a top-32 prospect on your board, that must be rectified, especially in a class that lacks high-end talent in numbers.
Nolen is a dominant prospect with a violent approach and rare traits such as movement skills and first-step quickness that help differentiate himself. He wisely utilized his week in Mobile to establish himself as a first-round-worthy prospect. The lone remaining question is whether or not Nolan cracks the opening 15 selections, an increasing possibility following his Senior Bowl showings.
