Indianapolis Colts left guard Quenton Nelson understands more than most the process of working with a new quarterback, but now he’s doing so with a rookie under center.
Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick from the 2023 NFL draft, has been receiving the praises of his teammates and coaches since he arrived on the scene at the end April.
The latest player to sing the praises of the rookie was Nelson, who has seen a lot of growth already since the spring.
“I’ve been really impressed with him and the way he’s come into the building every day. Just his work ethic and his poise in the huddle for a rookie has impressed me a lot,” Nelson told reporters this week.
Even though Richardson is currently splitting reps with veteran Gardner Minshew on the starting offense, Nelson knew quickly the rookie showed up to camp ready to compete.
“The growth I’ve seen from OTAs until now – you can tell that in the offseason time that he was at home, he was studying, working on calling the plays in the huddle and stuff. I’m really happy with where he is at right now and the growth he’s having. Gardner (Minshew II) is doing a great job of being a great teammate, so appreciate him too,” Nelson said.
Nelson will be leading the charge on an offensive line that is looking to bounce back from a rough season. They allowed the second-most sacks and the fifth-highest sack percentage in the NFL during the 2022 campaign.
Of course, some of that should be attributed to the incredible lack of mobility the Colts had at the quarterback position. Though Richardson is a unicorn when it comes to his size, mobility and speed, figuring out how he maneuvers the pocket is the main focus right now.
At the end of the day you have a pocket in which you want to have regardless of the quarterback. That’s what we’re working on – us five blocking their four or their five and having a nice, firm pocket in the middle and yeah, just trying to do that on a very consistent basis,” said Nelson.
The Colts have had the same starting five working together since the second half of the 2022 season so the continuity should be there.
Both the offensive line and Richardson’s development will have a massive say in how the Colts perform in 2023, but it appears they’re heading in the right direction.