Jack Nelson, OT Wisconsin: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Nelson was a four-star offensive tackle recruit from Stoughton High School in Stoughton, Wis. in the class of 2020

Wisconsin Badgers right tackle Jack Nelson is a good athlete with excellent size, but concerns about his balance will prevent him from being a top 100 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Nelson had several concerning games in 2022 that suggest he might be better off switching back to guard.

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Jack Nelson, OT Wisconsin: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior right tackle from Stoughton, Wis.

Background: Nelson was a four-star offensive tackle recruit from Stoughton High School in Stoughton, Wis. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 104 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 198 for Rivals, and No. 101 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 148th in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. Nelson earned First Team All-State honors from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association in 2018 and 2019. He won the Joe Thomas Award as the state's top senior offensive lineman in 2019. Nelson received three Badger South First Team All-Conference selections in high school and was once the Badger South Lineman of the Year. He also played three varsity seasons of basketball. Nelson’s father, Todd, played along the offensive line for Wisconsin and was selected by the Phoenix Cardinals in the 12th round of the 1989 NFL Draft.

Injuries & Off-Field: Exited 2021 Rutgers game with an injury and didn’t return, had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb in August of 2022, missed 2022 Ohio State game with illness

Awards: 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, 2021 Academic All-Big Ten, 2022 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, 2022 Academic All-Big Ten

Pros: Experience at right guard and left tackle, excellent size, uses arms to cast a wide arc of influence, independent hand usage, sinks his butt in stance and plays with decent knee bend, played with good leverage during his time as a guard, improved use of leverage and body positioning throughout 2022, good anchor when facing bull rushes square, attacks long arm moves to throw the defender off balance and finish them to the ground, instances of overwhelming pass rushers at the top of the arc and flattening them, recognizes stunts quickly, showcases power when slanting and washing defenders down the line, upper body strength to torque defenders out of rushing lanes, very good athlete in space, good mover in space for his size, mobility helps execute pulls for gap runs, much better showcase of natural power as a run blocker vs. Nebraska (2022)

Cons: Committed six penalties in 2021 and 2022, Keith Randolph Jr. (Illinois 2022) took him to school, burn the Illinois (2022) tape, play strength must improve, bends at his waist, ends up on the ground too often, toppled by club and hump moves, sudden lateral changes of direction can lead to him falling, kick step isn’t explosive, sloppy footwork leads to him being stressed vertically, sloppy and slow footwork, hands are late to deploy which allows defenders into his chest, clamp breaks too easily, struggles to handle counters and pass rush moves that prey on his balance and hands, vulnerable to swim move, fails to sustain blocks when the defender counters, out-leveraged at the point of attack, leans on defenders in the run game which compromises his balance, doesn’t reset the LOS in the run game against quality competition

Overview: Nelson started for Wisconsin at right guard in 2021 before shifting to left tackle in 2022. He has excellent size with decent arm length that he uses to cast a wide net. Nelson’s hands are late to deploy, which allows defenders into his chest, but he already shows flashes of independent hand usage. He attacks long-arm moves to throw the defender off balance and finish them to the ground. The Wisconsin native sinks his butt in his stance and plays with decent knee bend to maintain leverage despite his size. Defenders occasionally out-leverage Nelson at the point of attack, but he improved his use of leverage and body positioning as a tackle in 2022. The former four-star recruit already played with good leverage as a guard in 2021. He showcases a strong anchor when squarely facing bull rushes. Nelson overwhelms pass rushers at the top of the arc, using his strength to break defenders down and finish them to the turf. He recognizes stunts quickly. Nelson shows off his power when slanting and washing defenders down the line. He has the upper body strength to torque defenders out of rushing lanes. The redshirt junior really shines in space. He’s an excellent athlete with the mobility to execute pulls on gap runs and operate in an outside zone offense. Unfortunately, his power as a run blocker doesn’t always match his mobility. He fails to reset the line of scrimmage against quality competition and struggled to keep rushing lanes open against Illinois (2022). Nelson’s power showed up more against Nebraska (2022), but defenses with stouter lines gave him trouble. Illinois’ Keith Randolph Jr. took Nelson to school in 2022. The Wisconsin tackle’s play strength and clamp must become stronger to keep players like Randolph from battling through his blocks. Nelson struggles to maintain his balance because he bends at his waist and leans on defenders. These balance issues make him vulnerable to swim moves as well as club and hump moves, which knock him to the ground. Sudden lateral changes of direction also put Nelson at risk of losing his balance. He struggles to handle counters and pass rush moves that prey on his balance and hands. The All-Big Ten honorable mention also fails to sustain blocks in the run game when the defender counters. Nelson’s kick step isn’t explosive, and sloppy footwork leads to him being stressed vertically by pass rushers.

Overall, Nelson’s size gives him long-term upside, but his tape against elite competition as a tackle in 2022 proved he’s still in the developmental stage of his college career. Nelson’s technique and balance need to improve. Currently, his areas of concern make him a cleaner guard than tackle prospect.     

Role & Scheme Fit: Right guard/project tackle in an outside zone or gap scheme

Round Projection: Late Fourth to Early Fifth

Size: 6'7", 305 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-06-23