When is Quenton Nelson Drafted in 2018 Re-Draft?
Yesterday it was reported that Indianapolis Colts offensive guard Quenton Nelson could "break the bank" with a new contact.
We concluded at the end of the analysis that despite not playing a "value" position, each of the four teams ahead of the Colts would have taken Nelson ahead of their actual pick if there was a do-over.
Bleacher Report (B/R) agrees.
B/R conducted a re-draft on Monday and despite playing a position of lesser value, Nelson would be taken third in a re-draft. We have no issues with Nelson going behind quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson of the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens respectively.
It was already something of a shock when Quenton Nelson was drafted sixth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. It's no knock on Nelson—he was widely regarded as one of the top prospects in his class, with Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranking him third overall. It's simply that offensive guards are very rarely drafted inside the top 10.
But if ever there was an exception to the rule, it's Nelson. All the 6'5", 330-pound mauler has done is make the Pro Bowl in all four professional seasons, get named a first-team All-Pro three times and emerge as quite possibly the best offensive lineman in the league. - Gary Davenport, B/R
With Nelson off the board at No. 6, the Colts would obviously need to go in another direction, but they didn't stray too far off the path.
Davenport has the Colts taking linebacker Darius Leonard. Leonard has been one of the best value picks of the past several years with the Colts having gotten him at No. 36 overall.
After playing collegiately at South Carolina State, Darius Leonard was widely regarded as a Day 2 prospect. Sure enough, the Colts made the 6'2", 234-pounder the fourth pick of the draft's second round.
But it didn't take long for everyone to realize Leonard was a lot more NFL-ready than originally thought. As a rookie, Leonard piled up a staggering 163 total tackles and 111 solos. Both numbers led the league, and Leonard was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. - Gary Davenport, B/R
By getting both Nelson and Leonard in the 2018 NFL Draft, there's little question the Colts "won the draft" in 2018. Both of those players are key pieces on a Colts team hoping to make a deep playoff run in 2022.
B/R Re-Draft Top 10
1. Josh Allen - Cleveland Browns
2. Lamar Jackson - New York Giants
3. Quenton Nelson - New York Jets
4. Denzel Ward - Cleveland Browns
5. Bradley Chubb - Denver Broncos
6. Darius Leonard - Indianapolis Colts
7. Jaire Alexander - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (no trade with Buffalo)
8. Roquan Smith - Chicago Bears
9. Orlando Brown - San Francisco 49ers
10. Minkah Fitzpatrick - Las Vegas Raiders (no trade with Arizona)
Actual 2018 NFL Draft:
1. Baker Mayfield - Cleveland Browns
2. Saquon Barkley - New York Giants
3. Sam Darnold - New York Jets
4. Denzel Ward - Cleveland Browns
5. Bradley Chubb - Denver Broncos
6. Quenton Nelson - Indianapolis Colts
7. Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills
8. Roquan Smith - Chicago Bears
9. Mike McGlinchey - San Francisco 49ers
10. Josh Rosen - Arizona Cardinals
