Colts Star Ranks Among NFL’s Best in ESPN’s 2025 Rankings

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Canale | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 2:15 PM ET

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has been releasing a top 10 list for each NFL position over the past week, with his interior offensive line edition coming out early Saturday morning.

These rankings are determined based on votes from anonymous NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, offering insight into how the league views the top players at each position.
The interior offensive line rankings featured some surprises, such as Dallas Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith landing at second on the list in his first time being included in the top 10.

Following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Zack Martin this offseason, the top of the list features few consistent names from year to year. However, the one player who has made the top 3 every season since the list’s inception in 2020 is Indianapolis Colts star left guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson has consistently been among the league’s best interior offensive linemen throughout his entire career, as reflected by his seven Pro Bowl selections — one for each season he's played.

Nelson is a fan-favorite at guard, with a violent, road-grading playstyle that has warmed the hearts of O-line enthusiasts since he entered the league in 2018.

He’s been the beating heart of the Colts franchise, helping propel their rushing attack to top 10 finishes in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in four of his seven seasons.

Nelson’s case for being one of the best guards in the league is backed by both the eye test and stats. On the field, Nelson remains one of the most athletic guards in the league, consistently mowing down defenders in space. Here’s one such example, where Nelson flattens Derek Stingley Jr. and continues chugging down the field to find more work.

Quenton Nelson bullyball pic.twitter.com/qvBxDvJc4g
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) October 28, 2024

Statistically, Nelson is still among the best at his position as well. Per ESPN’s blocking win rate stat, Nelson ranks in the top 20 for pass-block win rate (94.4%) and is tied for first in run block win rate (77%).

Some consider Nelson to be an all-timer at the position, but he’s at least one of the best in the game right now, according to one of the evaluators interviewed for ESPN’s piece.

"Honestly, nobody else has really taken the top spot from him," an NFC executive said. "I don't think there's a dominant interior OL right now. He's the closest thing."

Nelson has been a buoy of stability for a Colts team that has been anything but in recent years. If the Colts can right the ship in 2025, hopefully they can give Nelson the chance to compete for postseason success someday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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