Surprise! Colts' Quenton Nelson is Best Guard in NFL
We've now comfortably entered the Quenton Nelson portion of the offseason.
That's the stretch of time where everybody's "best of" or "All-NFL" lists are coming out, and the Indianapolis Colts' guard seems to be on just about all of them in which he qualifies.
The latest example comes from TouchdownWire and writer Mark Schofield, who ranked the 11 best guards in the NFL, and he puts Nelson in the top spot:
Similar to Zack Martin, Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts has helped to change the conversation around offensive guards. There was some skepticism when the Colts made Nelson the sixth-overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, but his elite play over the past three seasons has changed the way some view the position.
Nelson is elite both as a run blocker, and in pass protection. Since entering the league he has allowed just three sacks, two as a rookie and one a season ago. He has also allowed just 11 quarterback hits over his career, and when you consider that he has almost 2,000 pass blocking snaps over that three-year span, those numbers are even more impressive.
Let’s dive into a quick cut-up of what Nelson offers up front for the Colts:
Combination blocks, execution against top talent such as Myles Garrett and Kenny Clark, and his willingness to scan for targets and find work. These are just some of the reasons Nelson is must-watch each week, and tops lists like this one.
Like Schofield mentioned, Nelson and some of his counterparts have become so good that it's changed the narrative of the position.
"As more defenses kick pass rushers inside on passing downs, or have elite players such as Aaron Donald who can destroy worlds from the interior, the days of the road grader are gone," Schofield said. "Now guards need to do it all, and do it well, otherwise offenses will struggle."
Since becoming the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft — a spot that's crazy-high for an interior offensive lineman to be selected — Nelson has lived up to the hype, and then some.
He's made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years but is also the first offensive lineman in NFL history to be named a First-Team All-Pro in each of his first three seasons as well. Overall, he joins Earl Campbell, Keith Jackson, Barry Sanders, and Lawrence Taylor as the only NFL players ever to accomplish such an honor.
Longevity has been key as he's yet to miss a game in either the regular or postseason.
In 2,073 pass-blocking snaps, he's allowed a mere 3 sacks and 11 quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Focus. He also has a career-average run-blocking grade of 85.7, which is comfortably elite.
In 2020 on plays where the Colts ran the ball directly behind Nelson or between him and center Ryan Kelly, the offense totaled 735 yards on 137 carries (5.4 avg.), resulting in 2 touchdowns, 33 first downs and 21 runs of 10-plus yards.
Nelson is not only giving a case for the NFL's current best guard, but he's easily on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory.
Do you agree that Nelson is the best guard in the NFL? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
