2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Prospect: Quenton Nelson
 School: Notre Dame Ht: 6'5" Wt: 330 Eligibility: Sr Uniform: #56 Position: OG |
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Evaluated by: Anthony Godinez anthonygodinez01@gmail.com Nelson is a senior with high expectations in the draft world. To date he has started 29 of 30 games he has played in. In 2015 he missed 1 full game and didn't finish another due to an ankle injury. He was named as a 2nd team All-American by both the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated.  Nelson has the size and strength that NFL teams dream of. He is an immovable boulder in the middle of the line. Defenders cannot bull rush through him and find it just as difficult to navigate around him. Nelson is not a passive "catch and grab" type lineman. He will fire out of his stance with the intent to attack the defender. This has been shown on both run and pass blocking. While run blocking he will drive his feet and stay on his block all the way through the whistle. If the defender attempts to shed the block Nelson will shuffle his feet well and maintain his pad level. Nelson moves very well and has shown ability to execute pull, ace, combo and all standard blocks. In pass-pro he will neutralize the defender with strong handwork and keeping a solid base. It seems as though once he has a grip on the defender and locks his arms out, the defender has no chance at the QB. There were very few instances of Nelson being in danger of giving up a sack or even a pressure. Despite all of his positives Nelson is not a finished product. Nelson needs to work at his hand placement and punch timing. He has developed a habit of allowing his hands to get on the outside of the defender. There were times he had an arm completely around the defender. He will also hang his hands out in space too long waiting to engage the defender. This gives the defender enough time to see where his hands are and shed his block or get inside of him. He needs to engage quickly or hold his hands until defender closes the space on him. For the most part Nelson will fire off quickly but will have lapses in concentration and become slow off the ball. This led to him being put on skates vs UGA while taking on #13 Ledbetter, one of the few times I saw Nelson in danger. While pulling Nelson will occasionally fail to recognize the MDM (most dangerous man). Come combine measurement time I would be interested to see his arm length measurement. Nelson would struggle most often when long armed DTs got their hands inside of him.  The tape on Nelson is as advertised, the real deal. Nelson is a consistent and reliable fixture on the offensive line. His consistency makes most plays seem like a replay of the play before. It usually plays out with Nelson getting his hands on a defender and the defender either gaining no ground or going backwards. I was amazed to see a player never have to change his style no matter who was in front of him over the games viewed. A team looking for the "can't miss prospect" may not be able to pass on Nelson come early on day 1 of the draft. NFL Comparison: Gabe Jackson (Oakland)/Richie Incognito (Buffalo) Strengths - NFL size - Elite playing strength - Strong hand usage/grip strength - Ability to execute all run blocks - Good footwork - Consistent effort/play - Maintains proper pad level - Powerful run blocker - Drives feet through whistle - Moves/blocks well in space - Good flexibility - Well disciplined Weaknesses - Poor hand placement - Leaves hands/arms hanging out in dead space - Inconsistent awareness - Lapses in concentration - Will get head out too far over feet
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| Scouting Video Courtesy of Suit TV |
| Articles/Links |
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1) Notre Dame OG Quenton Nelson, OT Mike McGlinchey named AP All-Americans - NDInsider.com |
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2) NFL draft analyst lauds Notre Dame offensive guard Quenton Nelson - Diehards.com |
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3) Quenton Nelson, Mike McGlinchey Named Preseason Associated Press All-Americans
- UND.com |
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4) Quenton Nelson Twitter |
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5) Quenton Nelson Instagram |
