And Nolan, while a great talent, has some red flags on the character/effort side of things. There were rumors that he had bad practice habits.
Per Albert Breer
“Two of the more fascinating prospects this year are Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen and Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. Both have faced character questions. Nolen’s practice habits and sense of entitlement have been questioned, while Pearce is seen as a bit edgy, and had a reputation for being divisive in college.
It could have been a tiebreaker for the Cowboys.