Throughout the first two seasons of their respective careers, Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard couldn’t be more worthy of the high draft capital the team spent on them.
They’ve been reliable and productive while being a major part of the turnaround on the offensive line and the linebacker corps for the Colts over the last two seasons. Their careers is still pointing up, and he hasn’t even hit the age of 25 yet.
Bleacher Report ran a ranking of the top 25 players under the age of 25. Nelson came in at No. 4.
You couldn’t have imagined a better start to a career than Quenton Nelson’s. The Indianapolis Colts guard has started all 32 Colts games in his first two seasons and has missed just 32 snaps thus far. And he’s been a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro in each of those campaigns.
Nelson reduced his penalty count from nine as a rookie to three as a sophomore, and the 24-year-old didn’t give up a single sack in 2019 while also registering the second-best run-blocking grade among qualified guards at PFF (where he also earned the second-highest grade overall).
After grabbing his first Pro Bowl nod in 2019, Leonard came in at No. 15 in the rankings.
The 24-year-old second-round pick was an All-Pro and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018. Although an early-season concussion had a significant impact on his sophomore season, he still earned a Pro Bowl nod with five picks, five sacks, two forced fumbles and 121 tackles in 13 games.
Leonard wasn’t as effective in coverage in 2019, but by no means was it a sophomore slump. He’s already a star. If he can remain healthy in 2020, he should make a massive impact for the Colts.
The turnaround for the Colts started with these two selections, which came in the first and second rounds of the 2018 draft. Both players have made an immediate impact on their side of the ball and should be expected to do so for years.