Anthony Nelson

Anthony Nelson is an American football outside linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was born on March 4, 1997, and is from Urbandale, Iowa. Nelson attended Waukee High School, where he earned Class 4A Western Iowa Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior, before playing college football at the University of Iowa. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 271 pounds, he developed a reputation as a long, disruptive edge defender.

The Buccaneers selected Nelson in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the 107th overall pick. Tampa Bay identified him as a defensive end with unusual length, short-area quickness, power, and a persistent motor. At Iowa, he was a productive pass rusher who could pressure quarterbacks with power moves while using his reach to keep blockers away from his frame. His role in the NFL has developed into an outside-linebacker and edge-rush position within Tampa Bay’s defense.

Nelson has spent his NFL career with Tampa Bay and was part of the Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl LV. On March 13, 2025, Tampa Bay re-signed him to a two-year contract, and the team’s official 2026 roster lists him as an active outside linebacker wearing No. 98. As of October 1, 2026, he remains with the Buccaneers and continues to provide experienced depth and pass-rush ability in the team’s edge rotation.