Now, let us start off by stating that Quenton Nelson, Guard out of Notre Dame, will most likely not be available to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick #7; However, there are a few scenarios where Nelson might end up falling into the Buccaneers’ laps. If that should be the case, then there should be no question whom the pick should be spent on.
Nelson was a force at Notre Dame, consistently forcing opposing defenders to the ground. At 6’5” and 329 lbs, he has great size for a Guard and is extremely powerful on the field. Uses his power well to create lanes for the running game. Nelson is a better run blocker than pass protector, he does not have many flaws in pass protection, either, however, and is as polished as they come in that department at that age. He almost never gave up a pressure or a sack at Notre Dame. He dominates his one-on-one matchups and enables his Center to help out the Right Guard with his assignment. Quenton Nelson is easily the best Offensive Lineman in the draft, regardless of position. He will instantly be a huge upgrade for the Offensive Line of the team he gets picked by.
Adding Nelson to the squad would be so very valuable for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have had issues, protecting Winston in the pocket and creating running lanes for our Running Backs. Quenton Nelson would provide instant improvement in both categories. Winston had seven fumbles lost to the opponent in the 13 games he played in last season. This is a serious issue, which is not solely to blame on Jameis Winston, of course, but rather on the weak play of the Offensive Line protecting him. This number will most certainly decline with the acquisition of Nelson. He would be a starter by Week 1 of the Regular Season.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Nelson is projected to be picked in the top 5 this year. So the odds of him landing in Tampa are not very good. Yet, crazier things have happened on draft day and if he does end up falling to pick number 7, the Bucs must pull the trigger on this gem from Notre Dame.
