Steve Nelson, CB - 98th overall pick

Steve Nelson, Oregon State, #2

Height	Weight	Arm	Hand	10 Yd	40 Yd	Bench	Vertical	Broad	3-Cone	Shuttle	60 Yd Shuttle
5-10	197	30 5/8	9 ¼	1.57	4.49	19	34.5	115	6.88	4.07	11.52

Game Film Evaluated:

Vs Jalen Strong (2014)

Oregon (2014)

USC (2014)

Pros: Extremely quick, lateral burst to get away from blocks. Also a punt returner. Doesn’t back down from contact. Very fluid hips. Transitions easily from backpedal to run downfield, able to flip his hips with ease. Attacks the ball in the air. Closes fast and hits hard. Comfortable with the action in front of him and with his back to the ball. Able to stick in tight man coverage downfield even versus top prospect like Jalen Strong and challenge for the ball.

Cons: Undersized type corner. Not as physical a tackler going inside though. Gives a big cushion perhaps due to the playcall, zone coverage mostly. He is a mismatch physically vs big receivers. Inconsistent tackler, sometimes he dives in head first in the action, other times doesn’t give any effort at all. Needs to keep his hands off the receiver downfield.

Summary: Steven Nelson is a fine cornerback who is likely to have a long career in the NFL despite not having the ideal measurables and height teams crave in the secondary now.  His ability to stick in man coverage, attack the ball in the air and give effort as a tackler coming toward the line gives him upside in zone coverage as well. He can fit in either scheme but his height is a concern if his teams division faces off against big physical receivers like those in Tampa Bay. I project Nelson to a 2^nd round pick who is an excellent football player and would be a fine nickel corner as a rookie and push for a regular starting job in 2016.