STRENGTHS - Nixon gets off the snap smoothly and into his position. He has quick feet and combined with his initial quickness out of stance is able to slide out to protect the corner well. He slides his feet well and when he stays over feet and under control he can maintain pass block. He flashes the ability to be a physical and strong player at the POA, but needs to do it more consistently. He has the strength to move the smaller DL off the line and away from the play. Nixon does a very solid job getting to the 2nd level of the defense and when he stays over feet he can maintain block well to eliminate man.
WEAKNESSES - Nixon needs to improve his reaction times and awareness, especially on stunt blitzes. There are times where he will look lost and unsure where to block and will get beat. Has a tendency to lunge at his blocks instead of standing firm and blocking physically. He can be overpowered and driven backwards by strong pass rushers. When he does not get moving quickly at the snap, he struggles to recover and get to corner in time to stop edge rusher. While he can be a good blocker on the 2nd level when he stays focused and under control, he will lean and reach to make contact at times and is much less effective when he does.
SUMMARY - Nixon shows signs that he can be a good offensive lineman at the next level, but he is far too inconsistent to have significant playing time right now. While he gets off the line quickly and flashes physical and strong play at the POA, I have concerns about his ability to handle the much bigger and quicker DL at the next level as he struggled at times against power rushers in college. He generally has good blocking technique and does not lean, but occasionally he will lunge at man which causes him to lose leverage and then whiffs on block. He punches well at times, but his punch could use improvement, both in placement and power, and he needs to use his punch more consistently. He tends to be slow with his hands in an attempt to gain leverage off the snap. Overall, in terms of physical skills, Nixon has the talent to start at OT in the NFL, but right now he is a better athlete than football player. He needs to work on his technique, hand-use and become more alert and aware to develop his talent to the fullest. He would be a good fifth round pick because of his upside and potential, but he is not ready to contribute now.