Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard doesn’t attend too many pro days but he made sure he was on hand for the one at Notre Dame on Thursday to check out guard Quenton Nelson.

With the No. 6 overall pick, the Colts will have a few options to look at and Nelson is certainly one of them. The short drive to South Bend, coupled with the fact that Nelson is one of the best guard prospects seen in recent years made it easy for Ballard to make the trip.

And he was impressed with several aspects of Nelson’s showing at the pro day, per Indy Star’s Laken Litman.

“You can see his natural power,” Ballard told IndyStar on Thursday. “He’s a big, strong man. He’s got quick feet, good agility, and balance, so you saw about everything you wanted to see. You saw it on tape, too. So it’s just reconfirming it.”

Upgrading the offensive line to better protect quarterback Andrew Luck and create better running lanes is far and wide one of the top priorities this offseason.

The Colts have added a few players to the unit — veteran guards Matt Slauson and Jack Mewhort — but neither of those signings should deter the front office from taking Nelson with the No. 6 overall pick if they deem it necessary.

The Colts also met with Nelson after his pro day as they will be doing all they can to find out if he’s worth their first-round pick.

Nelson is widely viewed as a top-five talent in this year’s draft class but his position value may push him to the Colts and while many believe NC State edge rusher Bradley Chubb should be the selection if he’s available, Nelson is making quite the argument.

There is still a month remaining before the draft and while Chubb is high on the board, Nelson could very well be a close second, especially with Ballard personally attending his pro day.