2022 NFL Draft: Miami OT Zion Nelson scouting report and 2021 outlook

Even though the 2021 NFL Draft just wrapped up, it is never too early to look ahead to next year. To kick off my scouting for the 2022 NFL Draft class, I decided to dig into Miami Hurricanes offensive tackle prospect Zion Nelson. Nelson is coming off of an impressive 2020 season with the Hurricanes and will likely be one of the premier offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL Draft class, assuming he declares.

Zion Nelson was listed as a 6-foot-5, 240-pound three-star offensive tackle prospect out of high school. He originally committed to Appalachian State but switched his commitment to the Hurricanes after he picked up the offer. Miami was the only FBS team to offer Nelson a scholarship out of high school.

Despite his less than stellar recruiting profile, Nelson immediately stepped in as Miami’s starting left tackle as a true freshman in 2019. He started all 13 games for the Hurricanes during his freshman season but clearly was not ready for major college football action, struggling throughout the season.

After his ugly first season, Nelson began the 2020 season as a reserve player for Miami. However, injuries to teammates allowed him to work his way back into the starting lineup, starting for the Hurricanes at left tackle in their third game of the season. Nelson immediately looked better in 2020 and after a quick trip back to a reserve role, ended up starting Miami’s last seven games at the left tackle position.

After finishing 2020 strong, Zion Nelson appears to be on his way to becoming a top-tier offensive line prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft class. Let’s dig into his game.

Zion Nelson, OT, Miami Hurricanes: NFL Draft scouting report

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 316 pounds
Class: Junior

*via Nelson’s University of Miami player page.

Games scouted: Florida State (2019), Florida State (2020), Duke (2020), North Carolina (2020)

Note: The 2019 game was primarily scouted to see the growth of the player. This report is primarily based on the three games watched during the 2020 season.

Zion Nelson is a long and lean offensive tackle prospect who displays quick feet, good play speed, solid play strength and fantastic overall athleticism. He does lack ideal bulk for an offensive line prospect but Nelson has already shown the ability to add weight and appears to have a frame that could support more bulk.

Nelson’s athleticism immediately stands out when making vertical pass sets in pass protection. He gets out of his stance quickly, has long legs that allow him to cover ground and does a nice job of remaining balanced in his kick step. He typically beats the defender to the spot when taking this vertical pass set and does a nice job of simply mirroring the pass rusher and taking him away from the quarterback.

He also shows the ability to short set and quickly get his hands on the defender. His long arms help in a major way in these short set situations, as he does a fantastic job of not only getting his hands on the defender but also using his length to keep him away from his body. His ability to mix up these short sets with an impressive vertical pass set consistently keeps the edge rusher guessing.

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Zion Nelson also shows strong mental awareness in pass protection. There were many reps on tape where he successfully identified the blitzer and took care of business. He does a great job of remaining patient in pass protection and always has his eyes moving. This leads to a ton of success against the blitz and also defensive line twists and stunts.

In the run game, Nelson has a knack for using his body to shield defenders away from the ball carrier. He clearly understands where the hole is supposed to be and consistently puts himself between the ball and his opponent. Nelson displays extremely quick feet as a run blocker, using short and choppy steps to commonly get in a good position.

His quickness really shines through when attacking the second level. Nelson has the athleticism to reach the second level but does so in a controlled manner, breaking down before reaching the defender to secure the block.

There are some negatives in Nelson’s game that will have to be cleaned up if he is to ever reach his ceiling as an NFL Draft prospect. He is smooth and under control as a pass protector, but he does have a tendency to play with his hands on the outside. He struggles to get his hands in a good position at times and that does lead to losses against more advanced rushers. Nelson can also be beaten with a bull rush, displays mediocre overall anchor at this point in his career.

As well as he does at shielding defenders and understanding angles as a run blocker, Nelson does lack ideal power at the point of attack. There simply are not many examples of natural power on Nelson’s tape yet.

Overall, Zion Nelson is an exciting offensive tackle prospect who undoubtedly has major upside at the next level. He is already a smart football player and his athletic upside is easy to see. He could certainly stand to add some weight to his frame and the play strength does leave a bit to be desired. However, he has grown a ton since 2019 and looked like a completely different player late last season.

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With the growth that we have already seen him make, it is exciting to think of what Nelson can become with another year under his belt. I fully expect him to continue to grow as a player in 2021 and improve his NFL Draft stock in a major way. Assuming he does not take a step back next season, it is difficult to imagine Nelson being anything other than a first-round selection next April.

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