Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen is not generally regarded as one of the top dozen prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But at least one draft expert believes Nolen is in play next week for the 49ers with the No. 11 overall pick.
“I think defensive tackle is a driving force behind the conversation, in general, at No. 11, and Walter is an interesting player,” ESPN draft analyst Field Yates said on "49ers Talk."
“The very best version of Walter Nolen is a top-12 prospect in the class.”
Yates projected the 49ers selecting Nolen in his latest mock draft.
Defensive tackle ranks at the top of needs for the 49ers. Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens currently are penciled in atop the team’s depth chart.
Nolen (6-foot-4, 296 pounds) registered 6.5 sacks last season at Ole Miss after a four-sack season in 2023 at Texas A&M.
San Francisco 49ers
“He is a destroyer,” Yates said of Nolen. “He just completely overwhelms interior offensive linemen with his strength and with his explosiveness. He is a play-wrecker. He is a havoc-causer. He is an interior pass-rusher.”
Yates cited the heightened importance of pass-rushing defensive tackles because of the number of athletic quarterbacks. Defensive tackles who can collapse the pocket on third downs are becoming more and more valuable.
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The New England Patriots signed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract as a free agent. Kansas City’s Chris Jones is the top-paid defensive tackle at $31.75 million a season.
Michigan’s Mason Graham generally is regarded as the top defensive tackle prospect in the draft. He is expected to be chosen within the top seven picks of the draft.
Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, along with Nolen, are considered the next in line to be selected among the defensive tackles. All are potential targets for the 49ers during an offseason in which they released Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins due to salary-cap reasons.
“I believe that defensive tackle is only going to become more and more important,” Yates said. “The fact that Walter can pass rush at the level he can, I think makes him a logical first-round player.”
