University of Wisconsin cornerback, and possible Colts draft prospect, Nick Nelson suffered a torn meniscus in a private workout with an undisclosed team earlier this week.
Nelson, a 5’11” cornerback draft prospect, is expected to get surgery on his knee soon. Typically, the recovery time for a torn meniscus is three to four months. This means that he would likely be available for the start of the 2018 season with the team that drafts him.
Nelson was viewed by many scouts to be a mid-round prospect prior to his injury. It is unclear how much this injury will hurt his draft stock, but it will not help. Teams that have not seen him in a private workout might be scared away because of it.
Cornerback is a position of need for the Colts after releasing Vontae Davis in the middle of last season, and not re-signing Rashaan Melvin. If the Colts were to select Nelson, they would hope that he could slot in as a rotational cornerback alongside Kenny Moore, Pierre Desir, Quincy Wilson, and Nate Hairston.
Nelson played his first two years of college football at the University of Hawaii, and played for the University of Wisconsin last season. He made 122 total tackles and had 41 passes defended, but had zero interceptions during those three seasons.
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Nelson has also proven to be a valuable special teams player, which is important for potential late round picks. He returned 43 punts throughout his career, one of them being for a touchdown.
If Nelson is still on the board during round four or five of the draft, the Colts should consider selecting him, especially if they do not select another cornerback earlier in the draft. He has solid size, and has proven to be a capable tackler at the college level, which is a skill that many defensive backs struggle with coming out of college.