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Quenton Nelson is one of the hardest players in the NFL to find fault with given his resume early in his career, but one NFL scout believes he and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts offensive line will be a problem in 2022. .
“May be a bit harsh but the tape was not good,” the AFC scout said, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “The whole thing [Colts] the line is bad and overcharged.”
That scout did not place Nelson in the top 10 in a poll conducted by Fowler that asked executives, coaches and scouts to rank the NFL’s best interior offensive linemen for the upcoming campaign.
Nelson was first last year but finished third overall this time behind Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys and Joe Thuney of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite criticism from scouts, the Notre Dame product has already exceeded the high expectations that were in place when the Colts selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He was a Pro Bowler in each of his first five seasons and an All-Pro First Team selection in each of his first three.
Although there may be room for improvement considering that Pro Football Focus gave him a player grade of 86.2 in 2020, 69.1 in 2021 and 68.4 in 2022.
The scout seems to agree that Nelson needs to turn things around in the upcoming season.