The defensive line has been a popular need for the San Francisco 49ers to fill in early mock drafts.
That’s the exact route they go in a mock draft done by the 33rd Team, the NFL technology and media company hired to support the New York Jets search for a general manager.
A couple of Michigan defensive tackles have been 49ers targets in recent mocks, but this time they go down to the SEC where they select Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.
Nolen is listed at 6-3, 305 pounds and put together a couple of stellar years as both a run stopper and a pass rusher.
He spent his first two years at Texas A&M before transferring to Ole Miss for the 2024 campaign. During his second year at A&M he logged seven sacks on 16 pressures according to Pro Football Focus, but he really broke out this year with the Rebels. In 13 games he logged 34 pressures and six sacks, along with 31 run stops per PFF. The football analytics site also graded him out as an elite run defender.
Just one year of high-end production may give the 49ers pause if they aim for a defensive tackle in the first round. They need to hit on that pick and make sure the player is going to be productive right away. Perhaps Nolen’s ascension in 2024 is a sign that his trajectory will continue upward and he steps in Day 1 as an effective pass rusher and run stuffer. San Francisco will have to be absolutely sure that’s the case if this is the route they go in the 2025 draft.
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