Redshirt junior defensive end didn’t really surprise many people when he declared for the 2019 NFL Draft. After all, he did have an outstanding career with the Iowa football team and his entire defensive line was graduating. Moreover, he had an incredible run in his final season in Iowa City, notching 45 tackles and 9.5 sacks (tied for third in the Big Ten).
Once declared for the NFL draft, though, Nelson was somewhat overshadowed by two of his teammates, projected first-round tight ends Noah Fant and TJ Hockenson. Even more recently, he wasn’t included in Bleacher Reports Matt Miller’s three-round mock draft partly because of the defensive line depth in this draft class and partly because there are concerns about his athleticism even despite having a fantastic combine.