Why is Notre Dame labeled “O-Line U” you ask?
Because not only do they put a bunch of offensive linemen in the NFL seemingly every year but because those linemen are often the best of the best.
That was certainly the case as Pro Football Focus recently ranked their top offensive guards in the NFL as Notre Dame products took the top-two spots.
Quenton Nelson has adjusted well to NFL life since leaving Notre Dame as the former Irish star has received All-Pro status in each of his three professional seasons to date with the Indianapolis Colts.
1. QUENTON NELSON, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
The best of the best, Nelson was seen as a generational prospect at guard when he entered the NFL, and he hasn’t disappointed. According to PFF’s wins above replacement metric (PFF WAR), the fourth-year guard has been the league’s most valuable player at the position in every season of his career and has surrendered just three sacks in three years.
Nelson helped turn the Colts offense from one of the worst in the league to one of the better units in the NFL.
Pro Football Focus went on to say that Nelson is unrivaled at the position but if there was only one other player to even consider for the top spot, that it’d also be a Notre Dame product they’d be discussing:
2. ZACK MARTIN, DALLAS COWBOYS
If there’s a player who runs Nelson close, it’s Zack Martin, who has continued to excel despite the Dallas offensive line collapsing around him. Martin has allowed one sack over the last two years and had earned a PFF run-blocking grade of 92.2 when he got injured in Week 12 of the 2020 campaign.
The list ranks 32 players in whole but it’s really no surprise to anyone that these two were seemingly head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the field.
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