Anthony Nelson
Anthony Nelson has quietly been the most consistent player on the Hawkeyes’ strong defensive line. While much of the attention has been devoted to how dominant All-Big Ten defensive end AJ Epenesa was in limited snaps, Nelson put together another outstanding season.
This year he totaled 41 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. The 9.5 sacks were tied for 13th in the nation and tied for first in the Big Ten, but it’s not just his pass rushing abilities that have scouts salivating over his potential. Nelson’s size and athleticism are incredible.
The 6’7”, 271 pound edge rusher can not only rush the passer but he can defend the run. Additionally, even when he can’t get to the quarterback in time, he’s a smart player who keeps his head up and disrupts passing lanes consistently as evidenced by his seven passes defensed in three seasons (including five in 2017 alone).
It’s easy to see why he would consider leaving as he is widely regarded as a second-round draft prospect and is listed as high as a top-40 prospect by some of the analysts at The Draft Network. Personally, I don’t feel like there is much more he can prove. He is a hard-working, high-floor type of guy.
That being said, this isn’t exactly the year to enter the draft early if you are an edge rusher as this class is loaded with talent at edge. He is arguably the 6th or 7th best edge rusher in just this class. That amount of depth can sometimes push talented players down the board despite having the talent to go in round two. If he comes back he would form a crazy good pass rush duo with AJ Epenesa for another year.
Verdict: Stays for senior year