The NFL's Best Interior OL - Quenton Nelson
ESPN conducted a poll of dozens of NFL executives, coaches, scouts and players to compile a list of top players at each position, and the Indianapolis Colts Quenton Nelson heads the list of interior linemen.
Nelson gives the Colts their second first-place finish after Darius Leonard topped the linebacker chart as well, with running backs still to be revealed.
Nelson is entering his fifth year with the Colts, and this is the third-straight year he has been voted the league's No. 1 interior offensive lineman heading into the season.
"He's still the guy you would start a team with [at guard]," a prominent NFL coach told ESPN. "You just have to watch him to know he's a special player who can dominate a game at times."
Evaluators believe Nelson can handle a stout defensive tackle on his own, and he has made efforts to improve the whiffs that used to plague him when he went for the big play. He didn't have his most consistent season in 2021, but he was also dealing with foot and ankle injuries throughout the season. Nelson's 94.1% pass block win rate was 12th among guards last season, and his 71.7% run block win rate was 13th at the position. -- Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Nelson is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, currently making $13.8 million. He's scheduled to be a free agent after this season, but the Colts have a history of taking care of their own.
Nelson will expect left tackle money and could "break the bank" with his next contract according to reports. 13 left tackles have an average salary above $15 million according to Spotrac.
Nelson will likely get a contract that puts him in the upper tier of those players in the $20 million per season range.
For a 26-year old, three-time best at his position... he's worth it.
