INDIANAPOLIS —When you think of a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, it's hard not to envision a quarterback delivering a precise pass deep down the field, a running back evading tacklers for a big gain or a wide receiver going up and winning a jump ball against one of the top corners in the league.
But what about the guys in the trenches that make those plays possible?
For that very reason, Good Morning Football's Nate Burleson believes the Indianapolis Colts got one heck of a playmaker in Quenton Nelson.
Nelson, the Colts' first-round (sixth-overall) pick Thursday night in the 2018 NFL Draft, is believed by many to be one of the best offensive line prospects to come out of the college game in years, and because of his abilities, he could easily be a critical building block for an extremely dangerous Colts offensive attack moving forward.
Asked to name the AFC's Best Offensive Draft Pick, Burleson gave a convincing argument for Nelson:
"I'm going to go with Quenton Nelson. I know you're saying, 'What? Offensive playmaker?' But let's just break down the word 'playmaker;' who's going to allow you to make plays, and that's the guys in front of you. Who do we want to see on the field more than anybody? That's Andrew Luck, so in order for him to be the best playmaker we expect him to be, they've gotta have protection, and they've been looking for protection for quite some time. If you look at Andrew Luck, since he's been in the league since 2012, the highest hit rate — the *highest hit rate; *that's unbelievable for a guy who is your franchise QB. So very simply, Quenton Nelson. I know it's not gonna be on him — he is an offensive guard — but having someone, a young player like that, that can anchor this position for a long time to come, and they start to build around that and in front of their superstar quarterback, he will *allow *Andrew Luck to be the best playmaker."
Burleson's Good Morning Football co-hosts had their own picks, meanwhile. Peter Schrager went with running back Sony Michel, who was selected with the 31st-overall pick by the New England Patriots; Kyle Brandt picked quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was selected 32nd overall by the Baltimore Ravens; Kay Adams, meanwhile, went with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who was picked in the second round (40th overall) by the Denver Broncos.
Other notable options taken in the first two rounds:
• Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets
• Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
• Hayden Hurst, TE, Baltimore Ravens
• Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
• Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins
• James Washington, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
• D.J. Chark, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
