The Seattle Seahawks pulled off a blockbuster trade on Tuesday afternoon. General manager John Schneider acquired guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2027 third round pick and a 2028 fifth round pick. Are the Seahawks still getting an elite guard by acquiring Nelson's services?
The 30-year-old Nelson is an eight-time Pro Bowler. But the Seahawks acquired Nelson to improve their offensive line in 2026, not for what he's accomplished in his past. Let's analyze how the former Notre Dame standout is performing this season.
Pro Football Focus doesn't have Nelson allowing a single sack this season. The data-based company also has him allowing just six QB pressures in seven games. Nelson is currently PFF's third-best graded
guard in pass protection (81.9), trailing just Christian Mahogany (83.8) and Dominick Puni (82.6).
The Colts had also been running the football effectively with Jonathan Taylor. Nelson is their 7th-highest graded run blocking guard as of this writing (82.3). His overall grade (85.7) is currently tracking to be the 3rd-best result of his nine-year career, and his best 2019 and 2020.
The Seahawks are still getting an elite guard in Nelson. Schneider's bold trade should drastically improve the offense. Nelson immediately upgrades the guard spot opposite Grey Zabel.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Are the Seahawks still getting an elite guard in Quenton Nelson?
