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NFL.com Analysis :
Analysis
Positives: While he is not really "muscled up," he has the frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk without having it affect his overall quickness...Lacks blazing speed, but shows good balance, body control and change of direction agility to compensate...Showed marked improvement for boundaries and sticks as a senior, doing a nice job of keeping his feet in bounds along the sidelines...Competitive type who showed he is capable of handling the ball in pressure situations...Plays with good toughness and the desire to compete on every play...Impressed scouts and coaches by playing the 2006 season with a knee injury that would sideline most...Shows good flexibility extending for the ball in a crowd and has those large, soft hands that lets him catch most of the throws outside his frame...Would not call him sudden, but does have competitive quickness in his routes, showing a better thrust off the line as a senior than he did in the past...Has the functional strength to power through the chuck, having learned how to swim and use his hands to get a clean release (not held up much when he powers through defenders)...Still needs to work on his acceleration out of his cuts, but makes smooth and fluid body turns looking the ball in (needs to improve his hip sink, though)...Because of his deceptive speed and quickness, he has worked hard at dropping his weight and accelerating out of his cuts better than in the past (has improved his double cut ability)...Might not have that second gear to run away, but he can turn a defensive back and sell a route (more of a physical receiver who gets good separation when he pushes off and shoves the defensive back)...Will uncover in time for the quarterback to deliver the ball in the short area, as he is good at adjusting and finding the seams...Natural, soft hands catcher who makes very good over-the-shoulder adjustments and is capable of tracking and catching the ball in his hands (no longer cradles or body catches)...Big target who is productive on impact working over the middle...Shows the ability to screen the defender and has outstanding ball concentration, appearing very confident he can get to most throws in a crowd...Not a good fit for the deep passing game due to his burst issues, but he can catch outside his framework or go low to grab the shoestring throws...Does not have explosion after the catch, but when he squares his shoulders and stays low in his pads, he can break arm tackles...Times his leaps well and with his height and long arm reach, he excels at high pointing most throws...Does a good job of settling underneath and perhaps due to his playing experience at quarterback, he shows the feel for coming back when the pocket is pressured...While he lacks the strength to blow up defenders as a blocker, he will position to pester and stalk...Will not hesitate to sacrifice his body and lay out for the ball.
Negatives: Has a good-size frame, but needs to add more muscle tone, especially in the upper body...More quick than fast, but must show better explosion coming off the snap, as he lacks a burst...Is still a work in progress recognizing defensive coverage, but made good strides finding the holes in the zone as a senior...Not really a vertical route runner, as he does not always gobble up the cushion and while he will gather to cut, he needs to show better hip sink...Mostly a position/pester type of blocker who will get in the way, but lacks the strength and hand placement to sustain...Better served playing in the slot than on the outside, as he has the frame to shield the ball from defenders and make the tough catch in a crowd, but does not have the timed speed to stretch the field.
Compares To: KEVIN WALTER-Houston...It took a few years for Walter to find the right system to play in, but if a team is looking for a slot receiver who can be physical over the middle, Nelson has more upside than most. Like Walter and Cleveland's Joe Jurevicius, Nelson is not going to win an Olympic sprint, but he is become a savvy route runner and shows good courage going for the ball in a crowd. While his numbers are the result of being the offense's only quality talent, you still have to be impressed with the progress he has made each year. You just get the feeling that he is on the verge of being a special player.
Injury Report
2006: Saw limited action in the Oklahoma State (10/07), Nebraska (10/14) and Missouri (10/21) games with a left knee posterior cruciate ligament strain suffered in the Baylor game (9/30). Wore a knee sleeve on his left leg the rest of the year.
Analysis
Positives: While he is not really "muscled up," he has the frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk without having it affect his overall quickness...Lacks blazing speed, but shows good balance, body control and change of direction agility to compensate...Showed marked improvement for boundaries and sticks as a senior, doing a nice job of keeping his feet in bounds along the sidelines...Competitive type who showed he is capable of handling the ball in pressure situations...Plays with good toughness and the desire to compete on every play...Impressed scouts and coaches by playing the 2006 season with a knee injury that would sideline most...Shows good flexibility extending for the ball in a crowd and has those large, soft hands that lets him catch most of the throws outside his frame...Would not call him sudden, but does have competitive quickness in his routes, showing a better thrust off the line as a senior than he did in the past...Has the functional strength to power through the chuck, having learned how to swim and use his hands to get a clean release (not held up much when he powers through defenders)...Still needs to work on his acceleration out of his cuts, but makes smooth and fluid body turns looking the ball in (needs to improve his hip sink, though)...Because of his deceptive speed and quickness, he has worked hard at dropping his weight and accelerating out of his cuts better than in the past (has improved his double cut ability)...Might not have that second gear to run away, but he can turn a defensive back and sell a route (more of a physical receiver who gets good separation when he pushes off and shoves the defensive back)...Will uncover in time for the quarterback to deliver the ball in the short area, as he is good at adjusting and finding the seams...Natural, soft hands catcher who makes very good over-the-shoulder adjustments and is capable of tracking and catching the ball in his hands (no longer cradles or body catches)...Big target who is productive on impact working over the middle...Shows the ability to screen the defender and has outstanding ball concentration, appearing very confident he can get to most throws in a crowd...Not a good fit for the deep passing game due to his burst issues, but he can catch outside his framework or go low to grab the shoestring throws...Does not have explosion after the catch, but when he squares his shoulders and stays low in his pads, he can break arm tackles...Times his leaps well and with his height and long arm reach, he excels at high pointing most throws...Does a good job of settling underneath and perhaps due to his playing experience at quarterback, he shows the feel for coming back when the pocket is pressured...While he lacks the strength to blow up defenders as a blocker, he will position to pester and stalk...Will not hesitate to sacrifice his body and lay out for the ball.
Negatives: Has a good-size frame, but needs to add more muscle tone, especially in the upper body...More quick than fast, but must show better explosion coming off the snap, as he lacks a burst...Is still a work in progress recognizing defensive coverage, but made good strides finding the holes in the zone as a senior...Not really a vertical route runner, as he does not always gobble up the cushion and while he will gather to cut, he needs to show better hip sink...Mostly a position/pester type of blocker who will get in the way, but lacks the strength and hand placement to sustain...Better served playing in the slot than on the outside, as he has the frame to shield the ball from defenders and make the tough catch in a crowd, but does not have the timed speed to stretch the field.
Compares To: KEVIN WALTER-Houston...It took a few years for Walter to find the right system to play in, but if a team is looking for a slot receiver who can be physical over the middle, Nelson has more upside than most. Like Walter and Cleveland's Joe Jurevicius, Nelson is not going to win an Olympic sprint, but he is become a savvy route runner and shows good courage going for the ball in a crowd. While his numbers are the result of being the offense's only quality talent, you still have to be impressed with the progress he has made each year. You just get the feeling that he is on the verge of being a special player.
Injury Report
2006: Saw limited action in the Oklahoma State (10/07), Nebraska (10/14) and Missouri (10/21) games with a left knee posterior cruciate ligament strain suffered in the Baylor game (9/30). Wore a knee sleeve on his left leg the rest of the year.
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