In six NFL seasons, Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson has earned six Pro Bowl appearances, three first-team All-Pro honors and one second-team All-Pro honor.
However, one unnamed NFL executive believes that Nelson “has always been a little overrated,” per comments made to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“His highs are very high, and he can set a tone and dominate at times,” the exec added. “I think he has slipped this past year, though.”
Fowler spoke with league execs, coaches and scouts for a top-10 ranking of NFL players at 11 different positions.
The executive’s remarks were made amid a top-10 ranking of the league’s best interior linemen. Despite that opinion, Nelson landed third in the league, behind Dallas Cowboys guard Zack Martin in first and Atlanta Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom in second.
Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney and Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio rounded out the top five.
Nelson hasn’t earned an All-Pro honor in each of the last two seasons, but he’s still one of the best guards in the game. He’s also been a stalwart in the Colts’ lineup in his six seasons, playing every game in five of them. The only exception was 2021, when he missed four games with a high ankle sprain.
Ultimately, Nelson is a foundational piece in Indianapolis, which is aspiring for a great season after going 9-8 last year in head coach Shane Steichen’s first campaign despite losing Anthony Richardson for nearly the entire year due to injury. Richardson is back now, and the Colts are looking for a playoff run after missing last year’s postseason by just one game.