• Welcome to PurpleFlock! Be sure to sign up here so that you can chat with your fellow Ravens fans.

Article Scouting Report: Quenton Nelson

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Quenton Nelson gifs from the VT game.

Two things stand out about Nelson immediately:

1.) This kid is very powerful and he's a ferocious blocker:


giphy.gif



2.) He's a really smart player:

giphy.gif


Another snap where he lays his initial block and then adjusts to the blitzer/interior rusher and plants him:

giphy.gif


You can tell this kid is super well coached and he's got a killer instinct. He finishes blocks like an animal but he's a clean player. Doesn't get grabby, and never takes it too far. Here's another good example:

giphy.gif


Nelson is absolutely brilliant in pass protection. He plays with perfect technique. Great knee bend, back straight, head up, arms extended. He doesn't get tired and let his technique slip. He keeps his head on a swivel and is always feeling out the pocket and making adjustments. He is consistent all of the way through the fourth quarter and the result is that he never misses assignments or give up pressure. The only pressure from his area I saw were two bad play designs, one where he was stuck with two rushers and the other where he was supposed to trap but the rusher jumped the snap and got through immediately.


He's physically gifted. Flexible and moves his feet very well to maintain a wide base and good balance. Vines for arms and good quick twitch musculature for his size--usually the first one off the line of scrimmage and has a very sudden first few steps. He carries his weight well, huge trunk and wide, columnar body. He's just a massive player, 330 is his natural weight. He pretty much always generates push when he drives and has an absolutely immovable anchor. He's a true power blocker who's got an NFL ready body and could step onto the field as a rookie and be a high end starter.


As far as weaknesses, he doesn't have any major ones. Such a smart and disciplined and well coached player. The footspeed when he gets out into the second level is really good. And he's good at adjusting to moving targets. He is definitely a strong pull blocker and he is very good on reaches because those first steps are explosive and he keeps his head up and lands a good punch. Really excels at turning and sealing to open lanes. He's a very good run blocker period.


He's also gotten better this year than he was last year. His second level blocking in the BC game cutups was noticeably better than it was in the VT game I pulled these gifs from.


My projection for Nelson is that he's got All-Pro potential at LG with the size and balance and lateral fluidity to play OT too. If we had him at LG today, we'd have a top 5 to 10 line in the league, without Yanda. He'd fit anywhere, but he's a particularly great fit for our offense because of the multiple nature of our blocking schemes and the degree of difficulty required for the blocks in our run game.

Put this kid on my wish list. Nelson is number 1 on my wish list. He's a blue chipper who is probably going to get picked really high.
 
Last edited:

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
I have moved this thread into the News section due to the Scouting reports being listed here.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Ur stealing my stuff.
But good article my friend.
Actually I did this two weeks ago! Around the 14th and mistakenly placed it in the 2017 OL Thread. then I moved it into the OL thread under 2018 draft prospects. I only decided to move it here after seeing scouting articles in this section.
 
Last edited:

Sooky

Pro Bowler
He looks good but how far do you think he drops with him being a guard? Seems like guards are not valued nearly as high as OTs.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
He looks good but how far do you think he drops with him being a guard? Seems like guards are not valued nearly as high as OTs.
This is true, but he looks better than Scherff and he went top 10. This guy is worth a top 10 pick. Could end up being one of the best lineman in the nfl in time.
 

Jacquouille

Ravens Ring of Honor
Supporter
He looks good but how far do you think he drops with him being a guard? Seems like guards are not valued nearly as high as OTs.
The thing is Nelson is not just good enough that he'll make his position good. He's good enough to make your whole OL better. His awareness is truly amazing and when you watch him play you see how many times he comes in to clean up the situation for McGlinchey or the C. When you get Quenton Nelson you get a guy who has that sort of transcendent talent.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
The thing is Nelson is not just good enough that he'll make his position good. He's good enough to make your whole OL better. His awareness is truly amazing and when you watch him play you see how many times he comes in to clean up the situation for McGlinchey or the C. When you get Quenton Nelson you get a guy who has that sort of transcendent talent.
That’s absolutely correct. It’s why I want to draft him if we are in position to do so. He Jensen ams Yanda onnrhe interior could be the best OL in the league if not close to the best.
 

29BmoreBird22

Staff Member
Moderator
Writer
This is true, but he looks better than Scherff and he went top 10. This guy is worth a top 10 pick. Could end up being one of the best lineman in the nfl in time.
But the Skins had every intention of playing him at tackle.

Think of Zack Martin. Martin might have been the best offensive lineman in any draft since Joe Thomas/Jake Long. He goes 16 to the Cowboys.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
But the Skins had every intention of playing him at tackle.

Think of Zack Martin. Martin might have been the best offensive lineman in any draft since Joe Thomas/Jake Long. He goes 16 to the Cowboys.
They knew he would be very good at guard, but wanted to see how he was at tackle. Last year he made the pro bowl and this year he has been even better, of course until the injury vs. the Eagles.
 

29BmoreBird22

Staff Member
Moderator
Writer
They knew he would be very good at guard, but wanted to see how he was at tackle. Last year he made the pro bowl and this year he has been even better, of course until the injury vs. the Eagles.
I'm sure they knew he could be a very good guard, but they had every intention of making him a tackle. It's like how St. Louis thought that Robinson would be a good guard in his rookie year, but wanted a tackle. Or how JO played guard in his rookie year, but the Ravens wanted a tackle.
 

Willbacker

Ravens Ring of Honor
But the Skins had every intention of playing him at tackle.

Think of Zack Martin. Martin might have been the best offensive lineman in any draft since Joe Thomas/Jake Long. He goes 16 to the Cowboys.

I seriously believe Ozzie would've token Martin over Mosley.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
if we end up with more than 6 wins you can kiss the Q.nelson pick goodbye.
But but but, you said we were only going to win 3. Sorry, had to do it and I agree, we could miss our on him with 5 or 6 wins.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
I absolutely love McGlinchey. Probably more than Connor Williams
Like McGlinchey and Williams, but Nelson much more than both. That being said, having either tackle would allow us to swing one over if Stanley ever goes down.
 
Top