The Vikings got an up-close look at dozens of draft prospects last week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL. One of the players who almost certainly stood out the most in their eyes was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, who could be exactly the kind of disruptive interior force they haven’t had in a very long time.
Nolen is the Vikings’ pick at No. 24 overall in a new 2025 mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller, who was down in Mobile after a stop at the Shrine Bowl in Dallas.
Filling gaps on both lines will be a major focus of the Vikings’ offseason regardless oft heir decision at quarterback, and Nolen is too great a fit to bypass here. Senior Bowl week was huge for him. Nolen showed scouts his trademark speed and gap-splitting ability but also mixed in a dose of power that wasn’t always on his game tape. The Vikings could be big spenders in free agency to lock up a 3-technique, but Nolen is a plug-and-play fit in Brian Flores’ defense if that money is diverted elsewhere.
Nolen was one of the players I highlighted in a story on six Senior Bowl standouts who could be Vikings draft targets. The 21-year-old was the No. 2 high school recruit in the nation in 2022, behind only Travis Hunter. He chose Texas A&M, and after a fairly quiet freshman year, he had four sacks and nine total tackles for loss as a sophomore. But it was last season, after a transfer to Mississippi, where he really reached his recruiting potential. Nolen had 6.5 sacks, 14 total TFL, and three batted passes in an All-American season for the Rebels, cementing himself as a likely first-round pick.
He isn’t a perfect prospect; Nolen occasionally gets too high in his stance and is still developing counter moves as a pass rusher, which is why he has a chance to fall outside of the top 20 picks. But after an impressive Senior Bowl week, it’s far from a sure thing that he makes it to the Vikings at 24. Nolen is an explosive, powerful athlete at the DT position, so it’ll be interesting to see how he tests and measures at the scouting combine at the end of this month.
The Vikings haven’t had a star defensive tackle who can rush the passer at a high level since the end of Kevin Williams’ prime around 15 years ago. That’s a weakness they could and should look to address in free agency, but there’s also no rule against adding multiple players in that mold. Even if they do sign a talented three-technique, it would be difficult to pass up on Nolen if he happens to be on the board at 24 in April.
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