Quenton Nelson: Strength as a Foundation
Nelson measured 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds at the 2018 combine, with 33¾-inch arms and a 10⅜-inch hand. He skipped the 40 but put up 35 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, second among offensive linemen that year. He added a 26.5-inch vertical, an 8-foot-9 broad jump, a 4.62-second short shuttle (seventh among offensive linemen) and a 7.65 three-cone.
Those numbers describe exactly the guard he became: a very strong man who moves well in a phone booth. A guard rarely has to cover more than a few yards. What he needs is the strength to move a 300-pound defensive tackle off the ball and the short-area quickness to stay square in pass protection. The bench and shuttle capture both.
Indianapolis drafted him sixth overall, and he made the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons, with first-team All-Pro honors in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Per Elias, only three other offensive players since the merger opened their careers with eight straight Pro Bowls: Franco Harris, Barry Sanders and Joe Thomas.
Why Seattle wanted him
The defending champions are 4-3 and ranked 21st in pass block win rate (46.8%) at the time of the deal, per ESPN. Right guard Anthony Bradford missed five games with a knee injury and left tackle Charles Cross is expected to miss time with an ankle injury. Nelson has only played left guard in the NFL, where Grey Zabel starts for Seattle, so how they'll line him up is still an open question. He's in the last year of his deal at a $16 million base salary.
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Buckner was a different kind of prospect: 6-foot-7 and 291 pounds with 34⅜-inch arms and an 11¾-inch hand. He ran a 5.05 40 at the 2016 combine, but the number that matters for a defensive tackle is the first 10 yards, and his 1.77-second 10-yard split showed real burst for a man that size. He added a 32-inch vertical, a 9-foot-8 broad jump, a 4.47 short shuttle and a 7.51 three-cone.
San Francisco took him seventh overall. He spent four seasons there, recording 28.5 sacks, before the 49ers traded him to Indianapolis in 2020 for a first-round pick. He's a three-time Pro Bowler with first- and second-team All-Pro selections, and he has 75.5 career sacks heading into his return.
| Test | Quenton Nelson (G) | DeForest Buckner (DT) |
|---|---|---|
| Height / weight | 6'5" / 325 | 6'7" / 291 |
| Arm length | 33¾" | 34⅜" |
| 40-yard dash | Did not run | 5.05s (1.77 split) |
| Bench (225) | 35 reps | — |
| Vertical | 26.5" | 32" |
| Broad jump | 8'9" | 9'8" |
| Short shuttle | 4.62s | 4.47s |
| Three-cone | 7.65s | 7.51s |
Side by side, the two profiles show how differently the two sides of the line are built. Nelson is heavier, shorter-armed and dominant in pure strength. Buckner is taller, longer and 34 pounds lighter, with better jumps and agility times. A guard needs to anchor and drive; a defensive tackle needs to get off the ball and into the backfield.
Why San Francisco brought him back
The 49ers are 6-1 but have been hit by injuries along the defensive line. Buckner, who has 4 sacks, 8 quarterback hits and 4 tackles for loss through seven games this season, gives them an experienced starter for a fourth-round pick. San Francisco will pay the roughly $7.9 million left on his 2026 salary, and he's set for free agency in March.
What's Next
Seattle hosts Chicago on Monday Night Football, which could put Nelson on the same field as the Bears' new defensive tackle, Jeffery Simmons, and alongside Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as he chases 1,000 yards in eight games. Buckner returns to a 49ers team leading the NFC West. For Indianapolis, the two deals bring back draft picks as a new front office starts a rebuild.
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