Niners Nation
The 49ers need to upgrade at defensive tackle.
The San Francisco 49ers formally met with Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen at the combine, doing their due diligence on talented player who is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Nolen, a former five-star recruit coming out of high school, spent his final year of college football at Ole Miss, where he accumulated 48 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries on one of the best defenses in the nation.
He came to Ole Miss after spending the first two seasons of his career at Texas A&M, where he turned heads as an underclassmen before becoming one of the best defensive linemen in the country last year.
A coveted three-down player, Nolen is in line to be one of, if not the top defensive tackle off the board in April as he has a strong playstyle at 6’3, 295 pounds. He’s one of the best run defenders in the draft, according to several pundits, but has serious upside as a pass-rusher as well which makes him one of the most intriguing players in the class.
When it comes to the first round, drafting the best player available is important, but the fit with the team needs to be there as well. One aspect where Nolen could fit in well is his versatility.
“Really, I be trying to talk to [teams] about [my versatility],” Nolen said about interviewing with teams at the NFL Combine. “I feel like I’m not a one trick pony. I feel like I can move up and down the line.”
“I feel like I do everything. It’s kind of hard to find somebody that look like me and do the things I do. I feel like I get off the ball better than a lot of people. I feel like it’s just my versatility. Like a lot of people probably gonna get to the league and play one position. I want to play everything.”
Taking inspiration from his position coaches at both Texas A&M and Ole Miss, the defensive tackle has made it a point of emphasis to show teams his true self this week, in a way deflecting potential character concerns about the star defensive tackle.
But, that came easier when it came to his meeting with the 49ers, as Nolen grew up a fan of the franchise, looking up to legends like Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman.
“Growing up I was a 49ers fan, so I was kind of cheesy [going into that meeting],” Nolen said. “[I looked up to] like Patrick Willis or Navarro Bowman. All those greats, I’ve been watching them [since I was] a little kid.”
Nolen, who describes his game as fast and violent, is smaller size-wise at the defensive tackle position around 295 pounds. But, that doesn’t change his mindset on the field and a strong, physical force in all aspects of the game.
“I’m smaller, but I’m strong as oxygen,” Nolen said. “So I feel...
