"Take their will away": Meet Quenton Nelson, the rare guard worthy of a top-five pick

INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-two years ago in Holmdel, New Jersey—a quaint township some 30 miles outside of Manhattan—a 6-foot-5, 330-pound monster was born.

Of course, at the time, Quenton Nelson wasn’t even close to the behemoth of a human being that he is now, but in the ensuing 22 years, he quickly was groomed to become one of the best prospects of a generation at his position.

The creation of this beautiful freak of nature—as draft geeks and scouts see him as—began even before he stepped foot on planet earth.

You see, along with being a physical specimen—blowing up the NFL Combine with 35 bench press reps— “Q,” as those close to him call him, was molded to be the soon-to-be-NFL player by those around him that call him by his nickname.

“Growing up the youngest, it definitely shaped me. Just getting picked on by being, I guess, the little guy in the family at the time,” Nelson said, expounding on being the youngest of 39 nieces and nephews. “I love my family, and they’ve definitely shaped me into the person that I am today and player.”

As is the case with many stories of future athletes, Nelson’s life revolved around doing everything he could to be the best damn offensive lineman imaginable. This wasn’t just hitting the weight room or film room, though. In high school, Nelson picked up tae-kwon-do to “speed up” his hands, which he says is a “very important” trait at his position.

“The little guy” is anything but little anymore, and you’d be a fool for saying anything of the sorts to him on the football field.

“As a blocker, my mindset is being dominant. I want to dominate all my opponents and take their will away to play the game by each play and finishing them past the whistle,” he said, sending media members one-third his size into a state of eternal worry. “I would consider myself a nasty player… I play clean, though.”

If nasty offensive line play sounds familiar to Denver Broncos fans, it’s because becoming nasty on the offensive line was one of John Elway’s biggest priorities last offseason. A year ago, Elway put his words into action by his two biggest moves being players who both had the “nasty” label attached to them—first-round tackle Garett Bolles and high-priced free agent guard Ron Leary.

But this year, Denver sits with the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, and many outsiders have demanded that’s way too valuable of draft capital to use on a guard.

Offensive tackles are regularly top-five picks and even sometimes the No. 1 overall pick in a draft. Yet guards couldn’t be valued more differently, even though the two positions encompass large humans and play directly next to one another.

Despite the lengthy history and draft trolls saying a guard shouldn’t go in the first five picks of a draft, though, Nelson laid down a pretty convincing argument as to why that talk is rubbish.

“I think I should be talked in that regard, the top-five conversation because you have guys that are dominating the NFL right now in [defensive tackles] Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins and Fletcher Cox that have just been working on interior guys and you need guys to stop them, and I think I’m one of those guys.”

“You talk to quarterbacks, and they say if a D-end gets on the edge, that’s fine, they can step up in the pocket, and they can throw, a lot of quarterbacks, if given the opportunity, can do that. That’s what I give, a pocket to step up in, and I think I also help the offense establish the run through my nastiness. Establishing the run also opens up the passing game, so I think it’s a good choice.”

So why him specifically in the top five? Well, the answer is simple. In the eyes of the hungry 22-year-old, he’s “absolutely” a day-one, plug-and-play starter on whatever side he lines up.

“I believe I’m the best offensive lineman [in the draft] and that’s all I can control, that’s all I could control my four years of college is trying to be the best that I can be,” the Notre Dame product said without hesitation. “What I do have is the fundamentals and characteristics to play any position on the offensive line… My technique, my effort, my ability to understand the playbook quickly and pick things up quickly. How hard I work, and my desire to get better as a player.”

With an unusual, yet eloquent terminator-and-witty disposition, Nelson added another checkmark by his draft evaluation: Winning over the media.

“My freshman year of college I was very nervous in front of the camera,” Nelson said calm cool and collected. “I didn’t like it too much—sweating and trying to wipe my forehead because it’s as all sweaty and glare-y, but over the years of college I’ve gotten a lot used to it, and I’m a lot more comfortable in front of the camera and speaking to all of you guys.”

Four years later, Nelson handled himself like a veteran quarterback who’s been on the podium in front of the media hundreds of times. Once he enters the NFL, if his learning curve on the field is anything like his gained-composure on the podium, this already excellent player will undoubtedly be worthy of a top-five pick.