Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Scott Nelson
With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs wrapping up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than two months time. To celebrate the new incoming season, the All Seahawks staff will be breaking down the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2022 campaign.
Scott Nelson, Safety
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 203 pounds
2021 Stats*: 58 tackles, one interception, one defensive touchdown
*College stats at Wisconsin
A three-star recruit heralding from Detroit, Nelson became a starter earlier in his collegiate career with the Badgers, starting eight games as a redshirt freshman in 2018. An injury cost him most of the following season, but he bounced back with two strong seasons to close out his time in Madison, including recording a career-high in tackles as a senior to earn Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition. Under the radar heading into the pre-draft process, he turned heads at Wisconsin's pro day running a 4.49 40-yard dash and a 6.80 3-cone drill as well as posting a 39 1/2-inch vertical jump. Intrigued by his size and athletic traits, the Seahawks signed him as a priority undrafted free agent to compete for a backup role behind Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs.
Best Case Scenario: Standing out amongst a crowded group of undrafted safeties, including Bubba Bolden and Deontae Williams, Nelson enjoys a strong preseason on defense and special teams and does enough to warrant inclusion on the practice squad to open the season. He eventually receives a pair of game day promotions and records a couple of tackles on kick coverage.
Worst Case Scenario: Lost in the crowd, Nelson hardly plays during the preseason, preventing him from being able to showcase what he can do. Waived in late August, barring another team taking a chance on him as a practice squad player, his NFL dreams may be dashed.
What to Expect in 2022: After selecting nine players in April's draft, it will be more difficult for an undrafted player to make Seattle's roster. That's especially true for Nelson playing at a loaded position headlined by Adams, Diggs, Marquise Blair, and Ryan Neal. Complicating matters, Bolden, Williams, and Joey Blount all have talent as undrafted signees in their own right, so trying to earn enough snaps to make noise will be a challenge in itself. But compared to those three players, Nelson may have the most intriguing athletic profile and coming off a productive career at Wisconsin, nobody should be counting him out and if he can emerge as a viable special teams contributor early, his chances of sticking around will improve tremendously.
Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles
Kevin Kassis | Cade Brewer | Liam Ryan | Deontez Alexander | Elijah Jones | Josh Turner
