2018 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame

Quenton Nelson - Offensive Guard
Notre Dame - Redshirt Junior
6’5’’, 329 Pounds

Another week of player profiles, this time we take a look at the long line of Notre Dame offensive lineman, and that starts with Quenton Nelson. The guard is probably the strongest player in all of the draft, and most complete guard that has come out in about four years (Zach Martin, ironically from Notre Dame, same player who gave over the left guard spot).

Strengths: Sustains blocks, which frees up space for open lanes. He is probably the strongest player from his neck to his toes, and that’s not an over exaggeration. Is tenacious at absorbing defensive players reach, and combats those strong defensive lineman that are typically power rushers. Plays balanced, like a ballerina bear, and seems solid at switches. Probably the quickest player off the line of scrimmage. His pulls are fluid, and never seems late to a block. He’s natural both at run blocking and pass blocking, being steady at both.

Weaknesses: Trust me, I look for weaknesses quite a bit for Quenton Nelson, there really are not many, so I’m going to be nitpicking. I feel as though he doesn’t utilize his weight in the best way. Kind of seems to lean off his back foot in running situations, which can tip off defensive lineman, but it doesn’t matter much anyways because he’s still able to stay in front of defenders. Seems eager to get to the second level.

Cardinals Summary: There is no way, unless Quenton Nelson has off the field issues, or just totally bombs at the scouting combine, that he lasts until the Cardinals pick at 15. You would need to realistically trade up quite a bit for Nelson, but at that point you might as well trade for a quarterback, right? I’d love to draft Nelson, but it’s just not realistic.

Projected: Top-10
Stats: None
Pro Comparison: Joel Bitonio - Cleveland Browns