Selected in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers.
Has played in 59 regular season games, with 12 starts, recording 87 tackles (13 for loss), 23 quarterback hits, 11.5 sacks, three passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Also has seven career special teams tackles.
Has played in seven postseason games, making one start, and recording seven tackles (one for loss), one sack and four quarterback hits. Also tallied two special teams tackles.
Tampa Bay's 2020 defense led the league in rushing yards allowed per game (80.6) and yards allowed per rush (3.60), while ranking sixth in yards allowed per play (5.12), sixth in yards allowed per game (327.1), ranking tied for second in tackles for loss (91), tied for fourth in sacks (48.0) and tied for fifth in takeaways (25).
Notched first career sack at Detroit (12/27/20).
Tallied first career forced fumble and pass defensed at Carolina (9/12/19).
Made first career start at Los Angeles Rams (9/29/19).
Made NFL debut in a reserve role vs. San Francisco (9/8/19).
Recorded 1.0 sack in the season opener at Dallas, improving his career total to 7.0 sacks. Marked his fourth straight regular season game with a sack, tied for the third-longest streak in team history.
Recorded one tackle in the Week 2 win at New Orleans (9/18) and in Week 3 vs. Green Bay (9/25).
Finished with two tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit and one tackle for loss in Week 4 vs. Kansas City. Also added one tackle on special teams.
Tallied two tackles in Week 5 vs. Atlanta and Week 6 at Pittsburgh.
Appeared in a reserve capacity and on special teams in Week 7 at Carolina, finishing with one special teams tackle.
Recorded one tackle in Week 8 vs. Baltimore.
Tallied two tackles in Week 9 vs. L.A. Rams.
Logged one tackle and one fumble recovery in Week 10 vs. Seattle.
Finished with five tackles (two for loss), one quarterback hit and one sack in Week 12 at Cleveland.
Recorded two tackles in Week 13 vs. New Orleans.
Tallied a career-high seven tackles and one forced fumble in Week 14 at San Francisco. Was Tampa Bay's highest-graded defensive player according to Pro Football Focus.
Started at outside linebacker and played every defensive snap in Week 15 vs. Cincinnati, tallying four tackles, one quarterback hit and 0.5 sacks.
Started in Week 16 at Arizona and played all 76 defensive snaps, tallying four tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Recorded a strip-sack of Arizona QB Trace McSorley on the team's first defensive drive of the game.
Started in Week 17 vs. Carolina and played all defensive snaps for a third straight game. Finished with four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one quarterback hit.
Recorded a strip-sack in Week 17, marking his second consecutive game with a strip-sack. Became one of six players in 2022 to record consecutive games with a strip-sack.
Week 17 marked his third straight game with at least 0.5 sacks.
Forced three fumbles in a span of four games from Weeks 14-17, most in the NFL over that stretch.
His sack in Week 17 gave him 5.5 sacks on the season, a career high and tied for second-most on the team at the time.
Started in Week 18 at Atlanta and finished with four tackles.
Played in 37 games at Iowa (2015-18), totaling 119 tackles (31 for loss), 23.0 sacks, seven passes defensed, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, which was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection
Posted 9.5 sacks as a redshirt junior (2018), tied for the second-most in the Big Ten and tied for the 17th-most in the FBS, while adding 45 tackles (13.5 for loss).
Named second-team All-Big-Ten by the league's media, while earning third-team honors from Phil Steele and the league's coaches.
In 2017, as a redshirt sophomore (2017), recorded 41 tackles (9.5 for loss), 7.5 sacks, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's media and honorable mention from the league's coaches.
Played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman (2016), registering 33 tackles (eight for loss), 7.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed.
Attended Waukee High School (Urbandale, Iowa), where he earned Class 4A Western Iowa Defensive Player of the Year as a senior was named to the Des Moines Register Elite all-state team as a senior and first-team all-state by Iowa Newspaper.
Son of Christy and Jeff Nelson.
Father, Jeff, played football at Iowa.
In 2020, supported Special Olympics as part of the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative.
In June 2019, rookies participated in Tampa's Police Department Citizen's Academy and visited MacDill's Air Force Base.
Nelson participated in the Linebackers Light Up the Holidays event as part of the 2019 holiday season, helping surprise a group of children with a shopping spree at Target.
