Cole Nelson

Cole Nelson (born March 12, 1997) is a Canadian professional gridiron football offensive lineman and defensive lineman who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

University career
Nelson played U Sports football for the Alberta Golden Bears from 2016 to 2020 as a defensive lineman. He played in 17 games where he had 21 total tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery.

Professional career
Nelson was drafted in the first round, fifth overall, by the Edmonton Elks in the 2021 CFL Draft and signed with the team on June 23, 2021. He began the year on the injured list, but made his professional debut in week 3, on August 19, 2021, against the BC Lions. He played in nine games in 2021 where he had three defensive tackles.

In 2022, Nelson spent the majority of the season on the practice roster and converted to the offensive line. He dressed in one regular season game as a backup defensive lineman. At the end of the season, he signed a one-year contract extension on November 2, 2022. In 2023, Nelson played in 10 regular season games, including eight starts at defensive tackle, where he had 10 defensive tackles. On January 5, 2024, it was announced that he had signed a two-year extension with the Elks. However, he was released prior to training camp on May 12, 2024.