We are set to see a wave of Ole Miss players heading to the NFL in 2025. The program could see the most players in its history selected in 2025, with several players listed as first-round talents.
NFL mock drafts are starting to be released, with December being the least accurate of months for predictions. That's why when ESPN's Field Yates had only had one Ole Miss player going in his first-round mock draft; it's not to say more will not be selected.
Walter Nolen heads to San Francisco with the No.15 pick
Ole Miss's defensive tackle is the most likely player to be a first-round pick. Yates had him going to the West Coast with the No. 15 pick, with San Francisco in need of help along the defensive line.
Nolen's draft stock rose in one season in Oxford after two seasons with Texas A&M, where scouts were underwhelmed by his work. Since his transfer to the Rebels, under defensive coordinator Pete Golding, Nolen has become one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the nation.
Good grief, Walter Nolen is a menace.
— Dayne Young (@dayneyoung) November 10, 2024
Look at what he does to Jared Wilson here. pic.twitter.com/BqFcbLDfdV
Most scouts rank Nolen as the No. 2 DT behind Michigan's Mason Graham. The Wolverines player went at No. 6 to the New York Jets.
Nolen finished with 6.5 sacks in 2024, more than both seasons combined at College Station. He also finished with 48 tackles and two fumble recoveries. The junior was a big part of Ole Miss having the No. 2 defense against the run, allowing just 88.8 rushing yards per game.
Walter Nolen can be one of the best picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and if he does end up with the San Francisco 49ers, he will be a menace for NFC West opposition.