2018 NFL Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year

6. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts

2018 Stats: N/A

It’s rare we see an offensive lineman dominate during their first year in the league. And yet, that’s exactly what Quenton Nelson did during his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts. It’s no wonder the Notre Dame guard came off the board far earlier than is expected for his position.

Seriously, the kid was a monster during his first campaign with the Colts. Powerful at the point of attack, athletic enough to excel in any pulling situation and possessing rare technical prowess for his age, Nelson quickly asserted himself as the future of the Indianapolis offensive line.

He was part of the group that went several weeks without giving up a sack on Andrew Luck. And as a result, Nelson was named to the Pro Bowl, something that hasn’t been accomplished by a rookie offensive lineman since the Dallas Cowboys’ Zack Martin did it back in 2014. I hope you understand how rare of an achievement that was for Nelson.

Put simply, he was everything the Colts could have wanted and then some. Nelson is the future of the guard position, and figures to spend the next decade paving the way for what’s turning into a formidable Indianapolis offense.

Grade: A+