Kansas City Chiefs: It’s too early to panic about the cornerbacks

Steven Nelson

Fourth-year cornerback Steven Nelson will enter the season as likely the number two cornerback on the depth chart. While Nelson sat on Injured Reserve for the first half of the season and struggled some when he came back, I think that Nelson will have a much better 2018 season.

In 2016, when the secondary had much more success, Nelson was the number two cornerback opposite of Marcus Peters. He also was the best slot cornerback for the Chiefs and would slide inside when the team went into nickel and dime sets. His versatility will add more options for defensive coordinator Bob Sutton as Kendall Fuller ranked the top slot cornerback just last season.

With a full offseason to prepare and staying healthy through offseason workouts, Nelson is in a much better position to begin the 2018 season. He will also be entering a contract season as his rookie contract will be up at the end of the year. What is better than a player having to prove himself while also in a contract year?

Starting off his 2017 campaign trying to shake off the rust and get back into game shape, Nelson finished the 2018 season surprisingly well. Considering that Veach waited until the sixth-round of the draft to select a cornerback, a position that many feels were the most significant need, it shows how the team feels about Nelson’s abilities for the upcoming season.

While not the most athletic cornerback on the roster, Nelson has shown good awareness and physicality during his 2016 season and toward the end of the 2017 season. I expect Nelson to get back to playing well and be a good option across from Fuller in base packages. He also gives more opportunities to move around the defense being able to play the slot.