Dallas Cowboys Draft: 10 Edge Rushers for the Cowboys
Anthony Nelson, Iowa
What’s Good: Size, Run Defense, Athleticism
What Ain’t Good: Explosiveness, Inconsistency
Nelson has one of the weirdest scouting profiles in this draft class. Almost nothing in his film would resemble an eye-popping athlete, yet he put on an absolute show in Indianapolis. Here are his measurables from the combine according to NFL.com
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 271 pounds
40 yard dash: 4.82 seconds
Vertical Jump: 35.5 inches
Broad Jump: 9’10”
3 cone drill: 6.95 seconds
20 yard shuttle: 4.23 seconds
This whole workout is impressive especially given that his 40 yard dash and maybe his short shuttle time correlated with what I saw on film. Yet, I sit writing before you today that Nelson could actually be something more.
Now Nelson isn’t a bad edge rusher by any means. He’s extremely dominant at bull rushing and he shows his speed at times. He’s even a capable run defender. However, the biggest issue I see with Nelson is his general inconsistency. Nelson will go from a destructive force to another body within a matter of a few plays.
Nelson clearly possesses the athleticism to succeed at the next level. (Just ask JJ Watt) However, his lack of pass rushing skills as they stand right now really lower his draft stock. His hand usage could be better and he could use some more creativity between bull and speed rushing. (Maybe he’ll throw in a spin move every now and then.
Where does he fit?:
Nelson isn’t necessarily a plug and play but he could play on Day 1 if necessary. Unfortunately, Nelson lined up at Left Defensive End for much of his time at Iowa. While he did play at the right end spot sometimes, he’s had the most experience and been the most effective when playing on the left.
Nelson would be an intriguing addition to the Cowboys because unlike Shareef Miller, he’s not a raw defensive player. Not only is Nelson athletic and big, but also he has a better foundation of pass rushing skills than Miller even if he is only marginally better than Miller.
Next. 10 Running Backs and their Potential Fit. dark
Nelson was my last defensive end for this article. With one month left to go before the draft, the Cowboys have been signing some impact free agents that are filling up holes that were created on the roster. As I continue this mini series, I’ll be discussing some positions the Cowboys could use even more help even with the addition of fresh faces.