02-18-2025, 07:58 PM
(02-18-2025, 12:56 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I saw in PFF's latest mock that they had Walter Nolen pegged for the Bengals, and they were mentioning some of their metrics for him.
I thought people might be interested in seeing their grades for Nolen vs the other DT many have mocked to Bengals - Kenneth Grant.
Nolen:
Age - 21 (turns 22 in Oct)
Size - 6'3", 305 lbs
Overall Grade - 88.9
Pass Rush Grade - 75.0
True Pass Set PR Grade - 80.8
Pass Rush Win Rate - 10.9%
Run Defense Grade - 91.6 (2nd in FBS among IDL behind Mason Graham)
Run Stop Rate - 11.9%
Grant:
Age - 21 (2 weeks younger than Nolen, turns 22 in Oct as well)
Size - 6'3", 339 lbs
Overall Grade - 83.7
Pass Rush Grade - 75.3
True Pass Set PR Grade - 77.4
Pass Rush Win Rate - 9.4%
Run Defense Grade - 87.5
Run Stop Rate - 7.9%
Both are good prospects, but some might be sleeping on Nolen's run defense, not realizing how great it actually was in 2024.
On the flip side, some might be sleeping on Grant's pass rush (like myself) given his lack of sacks in 2024.
Where do you lean - Nolen or Grant if it had to be one of them, and why?
Jenkins was great against the run in college as well, but the Bengals felt they needed a big body DT, so I think if it comes down between the two, they would select Nolen if they were running Lou's scheme. With Golden, I am less familiar with what he is looking for, so Nolan may well be the pick.
If both are there, or better yet the Bengals can trade back and get either, I would be satisfied. My big get would be finding a pass rusher to pair with Trey, or a super athletic linebacker to step into the multi-faceted "viper" role Golden uses to create chaos.
But back to the original question, gun to my head, I would opt for the Bengals to pick Grant because he would clog the middle and allow linebackers to make plays, which is not accounted for in the stat line.
