In what appears as a prove-it season for the defensive interior, the Raiders need to produce a pocket collapsing threat. As a result, the heat on the defensive tackles remains at a recent high. When the Indianapolis Colts make their way to Las Vegas, the middle of the Raiders’ defense needs to immediately step up, Without question, at that point in the season, they will face their toughest opponent on the interior. The Colts feature guar Quenton Nelson.
The Opponent
To anyone with functioning eyes and a working brain, Quenton Nelson is the best guard in the National Football League. If you are honest, second place does not live in the same solar system. By far, and without any semblance of bias, no other guard in football plays better. From the moment, the Colts drafted him sixth overall in 2018, Nelson dominated from the first snap. Now, in his third season, he looks to keep up the steller plan that made him a back-to-back All-Pro, The scary part? Nelson played cleaner last year and will only improve. In 1111 total snaps, he committed only three penalties. Nelson, 24, barring injury will be a top-3 offensive lineman for the next six seasons and beyond.
High Praise
“For me to see a kid in 2018 coming out and playing with that edge and learning how to play with knee bend and striking on the rise and driving and finishing and playing nasty to the whistle … it’s kinda nice to see,” Steve Hutchinson
What Nelson Does
Like Hutchinson articulated in the paragraph above, Nelson fights. From snap to whistle, he keeps his feet moving, with excellent flexibility. More importantly, his punch will stop a tackle in their tracks. He shows the ability to counter and adjust on the fly without hesitation or reticence. On top of that, he meets power with more power. Nelson attempts to muscle smaller tackles in both the pass and run game. Once he gets his hands on your frame, tackles will go for the ride.
How to Match Him
With Nelson, the Raiders need to throw a fresh rotation at him. Collins, Hurst, Hall, and Hankins currently sit on the roster at tackle. Whether who stays or goes remains to be seen. However, they all need to try their luck with Nelson. Thankfully, Rod Marinelli believes in a heavy rotational schedule. Plus, while he possesses strength, a quicker, slashing tackle could present issues.
Analysis
Quenton Nelson will give the Las Vegas Raiders fits, without a doubt. Yet, they must continue to attack him with depth and speed. The Raiders need to prevent Nelson from asserting his authority.
