Why Falcons 7th-Rounder Jack Nelson is a St. Bernard and Draft 'Steal'

Inside Atlanta Falcons seventh-round offensive tackle Jack Nelson's journey from Wisconsin to the NFL.

Atlanta Falcons seventh-round pick Jack Nelson pictured May 9 at rookie minicamp. / Atlanta Falcons

While thousands of students and visitors packed nearby Mifflin Street for an annual block party, a crowd full of family, friends, and teammates surrounded Wisconsin offensive tackle Jack Nelson inside Jay's bar in downtown Madison.

After 217 picks of waiting -- for his phone to ring, for a team to tell him he was its pick and for Jay's to erupt in excitement -- the Atlanta Falcons relieved Nelson of all his anxiousness.

There, in a bar half an hour from his hometown, Nelson's childhood dreams came true.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

"It was fantastic," Nelson said of the phone call after Atlanta selected him No. 218 overall in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft.

And it might have been several hours later than warranted.

***

When A.J. Blazek first walked into his office and met the 6' 7", 314-pound Nelson in the spring of 2024, Wisconsin's newly hired offensive line coach quickly felt convicted Nelson had the tools necessary to make a draft day celebration possible.

"I've been lucky to have some guys the last six, seven, eight years go on and get drafted and play from the North Dakota State to the Rutgers days," Blazek told Atlanta Falcons on SI in a phone interview. "And you walk in the door and you're like, 'He has the size, he has the frame, what's he missing?'"

The answer rests in minute details.

Nelson committed 13 penalties in 2023, tied for the third most in Division I, according to Pro Football Focus. But Wisconsin's offense clapped to get off snaps. There was no cadence. That changed in 2024, and Nelson halved his penalties -- he was flagged seven times in 2024.

Limiting jumps aside, Nelson battled technique issues.

In pass protection, he consistently carried his hands wide, so he and Blazek discussed ways to mix it up. Nelson's stance created other problems. He received feedback after his junior year from Wisconsin's defensive players that he gave hints to defenses with his stance.

After games in 2024, Blazek heard similar things. So did Nelson, who prioritized stance improvements and reaped the rewards.

As a run blocker, Nelson's game benefitted from Wisconsin's shift toward more wide-zone concepts, which Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson primarily runs. Nelson's previous Badger experience centered around gap and inside zone schemes.

"That was a new technique to let him just run off the football," Blazek said about Wisconsin's outside zone rushing attack. "And he was pretty damn good when he got running."

His on-field pace stems from an off-field commitment to starting fast.

***

Nelson grew up in Stoughton, Wisc., and spent five years at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He joked he was "a little nervous" about moving south and taking on the heat.

Relocating may be one concern for Nelson, but adapting to a new coaching staff won't be. He played under four offensive line coaches in his time at Wisconsin -- Joe Rudolph in 2020-21, Bob Bostad in 2022, Jack Bicknell Jr. in 2023 and Blazek in 2024.

Rudolph is now at Notre Dame, Bostad is at Indiana, and Bicknell is at West Virginia. Blazek will be returning for his second season at Wisconsin.

Such flux could derail some. Blazek compared it to a human constantly having different parents, because for six months during the season, players are with their position coach as much as anybody in their life.

However, in a sense, the changes had the opposite effect on Nelson, who picked different tools from each coach to fine tune his body, skill set and mindset -- while offering a glimpse at the character Blazek feels makes him special.

"He's been around good coaching," Blazek said. "So, I think there's a benefit to that at times. But also, the tough part is: What are expectations? 'I got to prove myself in all the habitual, off the field, personality,' and I think you kind of get weathered.

"It's kind of like being a step kid or a foster kid, sometimes, of, 'How much do I really want to put into this one before it changes again?' And he never had any of that. He was so eager to learn and study and I lucked out. To his credit, he wanted to do all that."

Nelson began the process shortly after spring ball concluded in 2024. He and Blazek watched extensive film in Blazek's office, discussing problematic areas they identified and how to improve them in the offseason.

For Blazek, it served as a chance to learn Nelson for himself. Upon arrival at Wisconsin, Blazek had heard from others about Nelson's strengths and skill set, but he wanted to know more. Hours on end in the film room gave Blazek information he couldn't see on tape.

And Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford may soon benefit from it.

"Being good was really, really important to him," Blazek said. "Maybe it's a product of the environment, but he's figured out, 'Okay, as fast as I can connect with this (coach), the better I can be and the more I can get out of him.' ... He was really dedicated cleaning some stuff up in his craft."

"He knew he had some habits that were good and some habits that needed to be tweaked a little bit. And to his credit, he worked on those, and a fourth coach, he kept improving. And I thought he played his best football last year."

Their summer conversations and Nelson's subsequent strides bolstered Blazek's belief in Nelson's professional future.

"You start spending time with him, you're like, 'Woah, this kid's hungry to do this, and he's physical and he's not afraid to work,'" Blazek said. "And Jack was awesome. I knew right then."

But Blazek still had more to learn. So, he picked up his phone and dialed Nelson's roots.

***

Blazek's father, John, was a long-time high school football coach. In an era of college football marked by gaudy NIL deals and eye-raising paychecks, the younger Blazek still values building community and forming relationships with the parents of his players -- much like his father did.

Nelson's parents -- his father, Todd, and his mother, Sarah -- spoke with Blazek last offseason. Their phone calls weren't recurring.

"His parents never called me once about, 'Hey, what about this or that?'" Blazek said. "I'd reach out to them, and they were super supportive. His dad was like, 'Coach him hard, that's how I raised him.' That's the part you don't get a lot anymore."

To know Nelson is to know his family.

Todd made 34 consecutive starts at guard for the Badgers and was the lone Wisconsin player taken in the 1989 NFL draft. Sarah runs a successful chiropractic company near Madison. Jack has three brothers -- one of them, Barrett, is an offensive lineman on the Badgers' football team.

"Grows up in a family of brothers, and they're all extremely competitive," Blazek said. "You got a success factor they all kind of grew up with, and it's competing all the time. And that's just who he is."

Nelson's internal drive showed up on the Badgers' practice field, film room and gamedays -- he started 50 games during his final four years at Wisconsin.

"The fact he shows up and goes every day, even if, 'My hand hurts, my foot, I rolled an ankle, or somebody stepped on me.' You're going to get 100% out of Jack in everything he does," Blazek said.

Blazek used Todd's straightforward advice -- about coaching Jack hard -- early in fall camp. After a spring spent adapting and a summer full of walk-throughs and meetings, Blazek learned Nelson's wiring during the "dog days" of summer.

"By the time you hit practice four or five -- just the harder you coach him, the more you get out of him," Blazek said. "So, it was fun -- a fun guy to coach. You could coach him passionately."

Blazek refers to Nelson as a St. Bernard -- a type of working dog breed. It's the first descriptor Blazek uses when discussing Nelson.

It stems from an unrelenting commitment to getting better. Nelson never missed a day, practice, or rep despite being a fifth-year senior who finished his career with over 3,000 snaps played.

Not only did he always perform, but the same traits always appeared. He's physical, moves at a consistent speed, is proportionally strong and plays with passion. Nelson is, in Blazek's words, "a bull in a China closet."

Or, perhaps more relevantly, a St. Bernard.

"There's days he's going to get a little pissy," Blazek said, "but he is never going to turn it down a notch."

***

St. Bernards are also known for being loving and affectionate. The 23-year-old Nelson shows his care for others through jokes -- some of which may not be fit for copy.

Nelson, who graduated from Wisconsin with a degree in real estate and urban land economics, is smart and quick-witted, but he's not all business.

"Jack is a jokester, and he's going to have fun in whatever he does," Blazek said. "If they're playing football, he'll get a little pissy one play and he's right on the next one. He doesn't let stuff linger. He didn't have bad days.

"Like, if he's going to go out and have fun with the boys, he's going to have fun with the boys. If he's going to work for his dad, he's going to have fun doing it. He's going to create a little humor."

Nelson reminds Blazek of one of his former players, Cody Mauch, who's now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mauch rose to national prominence during the 2023 NFL draft process in part due to his viral headshot, which featured wavy red hair and a smile lacking two front teeth.

Mauch had to have fun, be jabbing at or joking with his fellow linemen, and produced between when there was fun, Blazek said. Nelson is much the same.

"He's kind of old school, and a guy's guy," Blazek said. "It's not picking on anybody, but he's going to be one of the guys."

Nelson may be old in style, but he's the youngest player in Atlanta's offensive line room. Only one starter -- third-year left guard Matthew Bergeron -- is still on his rookie contract.

It's a veteran group, but one in which Nelson figures to fit in well.

"Jack will take the jokes as well as he'll give them the longer (he's there)," Blazek said. "He knows he's back as the young guy again. So, he'll take them in stride, and he'll laugh with the guys, and that's just part of being in that group and being tight with everybody."

The Falcons' offensive line room is something of a mysterious comedy club, where no jokes ever reach the public. But behind closed doors, Ledford's unit is known for its humor.

Apart from a speed-dating interview at the NFL combine, Atlanta didn't spend much time with Nelson during the pre-draft process. Evidently, it didn't take long to realize Nelson -- from his grit and determination to his chop-busting nature -- would be a seamless addition to the room.

"First and foremost, for us, in our room, he's got to fit our culture," Ledford said. "And I think Jack checks all those boxes for us."

***

Blazek spends his time coaching his current players and recruiting his future ones. He admitted he doesn't get to watch every offensive lineman who gets drafted.

But he watched all 752 snaps Nelson played during the 2024 season, and the hundreds of others he took during spring and fall practices. There were 20 offensive tackles drafted before Nelson, who was the first off the board and the second overall pick in the seventh round.

Blazek isn't sure how.

"I'm biased, but I think Atlanta got a steal in the seventh round of a guy (with) his size, athleticism, and pure strength," Blazek said. "I coached him a year, and I know guys that were drafted a heck of a lot higher that maybe had more issues and foot technique or more issues like mental approach. I'm really excited about his future."

Nelson started 13 games at right guard in 2021, and he made 37 starts at left tackle during his final three seasons. His 50 starts and ability to move defenders don't guarantee NFL success, but Blazek said the Big Ten is the next closest thing to professional football.

Toss in Nelson's expansive schematic background -- he played three years in a pro-style offense and two years in a spread system -- and the profile of a well-rounded prospect grows clearer.

So, a steal? Nelson's career will dictate that. But the Falcons feel confident in their newest blocker.

"You like the traits, you like the cover, your ability when you pass pro," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "Then you get your guys up front and they really like to do what we do, (which) is run the football, and watch them do some of those things, especially at an institution like Wisconsin.

"You’ve got to be on fire about acquiring a young man (we were) able to pick up in the seventh round."

***

When Nelson took the field for rookie minicamp May 9 in Flowery Branch, Ga., he hadn't yet spoken to the Falcons about where his next-level position will be.

Atlanta, however, may keep him on his toes.

"I would say cross-trained, because that's one of the things that is cool about him," general manager Terry Fontenot said. "He fits our scheme, because some players don't. A big man like that, that can open up and run. Again, he's played inside. He's played both left and right. So, he's been moved around. He has a lot of versatility.

"So yes, we'd say we’d cross-train him.”

Blazek said he couldn't confirm if it's true, but he heard Nelson has played all four offensive line spots apart from center. In games, he played only right guard and left tackle at Wisconsin, but the Falcons believe in his versatility.

Nelson, meanwhile, believes he's best suited to play right tackle. He enjoyed playing right guard in 2021, and fate -- the position decision of an older blocker, Logan Bruss -- pushed him to left tackle, which Nelson noted is "a lot harder to play than guard."

Still, Nelson feels the right side fits him better. He was training to play right tackle at the Reese's Senior Bowl but pulled a hamstring and couldn't participate. But the sensation he found during training gives him confidence that his future will be at right tackle.

"I mean, it just came so much more naturally to me," Nelson said. "My feet, my step, my angles -- being on the right side really connected to my brain well."

The Falcons have a rare scenario with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a left-handed passer. Atlanta's right tackle -- Kaleb McGary -- will be Penix's blindside protector, while left tackle Jake Matthews takes Penix's strong side.

Morris and Robinson have downplayed the significance of Penix's left-handed presence on offensive line construction, though Nelson has proven adaptable.

Wisconsin didn't have extensive conversations about playing Nelson at right tackle in 2024 -- he allowed only one sack, one quarterback hit, and seven hurries at left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus -- but Blazek sees Nelson's stylistic fit on the right side.

"His comfort level is when he can get physical," Blazek said. "As a right tackle, that's kind of your more run blocking of the two tackles, and probably a little more physical, less fancy. That's that old-school style of play he'll play with.

"He's very pliable and what he can do and play. So, his will be a comfort level, settling in where somebody puts him and then not moving him around a bunch."

The Falcons drafted Nelson wanting to add youth to their offensive line room. They also added a player full of jokes, toughness, a winning pedigree, and a commitment to getting better.

And to Blazek -- who, for a year, became Nelson's proverbial stepdad -- those traits culminate in one of the draft's biggest steals.

feed