Hurricanes NFL Draft Watch: OT Zion Nelson
For the Miami Hurricanes in 2022, Zion Nelson is back for his fourth season and will be a must watch player at left tackle. Not only for Miami fans, but NFL scouts as well. It all starts with how the 6’5”, 315-pound athlete with eye-opening footwork consistently finds ways to protect his quarterback.
During the last seven games of the 2021 season, Nelson allowed zero sacks and received a 90.8 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Nelson’s run blocking is the area that needs more attention to detail.
Pro Football Focus provided a grade of 64.1 for Nelson’s run blocking last season. If he’s able to be more consistent in the run game, which Nelson definitely showed during the second half of the 2022 season, his run blocking grade improves and so will his overall NFL Draft stock. There’s something to consider about Nelson’s rise and why people should expect him to continue to improve.
After being recruited as a three-star recruit and thrusted into the starting lineup during his freshman season of 2019, Nelson emerged to become arguably the best Power Five offensive tackle during the last half of the 2021 season. That’s fantastic progress in less than three full seasons of college football.
He was also still in the process of adding mass and strength to his frame, as well as learning how to best use it, as a junior in 2021. Now accustomed to weighing 315-pounds, Nelson is much better equipped to take on a wide variety of pass rushers and powerful run defenders.
He stays lower coming out of his stance, does not over set or under set in pass protection nearly as much as in the past, and he's simply more physically dominant after being engaged with the defender in front of him.
Coming into the 2022 season, Nelson is now expected to start strong and finish strong. He’s developed into one of the nation’s most physically gifted offensive tackles. Not to mention, new Miami Head Coach Mario Cristobal is a former offensive lineman himself, as well as him hiring top-notch Offensive Line Coach Alex Mirabal to be the new leader of the trenches for the Canes.
Nelson will benefit from their tutelage and that will further add value to Nelson’s NFL Draft Grade.
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