Steven Nelson to Kansas City Chiefs: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The Kansas City Chiefs continued to strengthen their secondary with their final pick of the second day of the draft.

With the 98th overall pick, the Chiefs scooped up former Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson. He became the second cornerback drafted by the Chiefs this week; the team took former Washington cornerback Marcus Peters in Round 1.

On one hand, it might seem a little unnecessary for Kansas City to use two of its first four draft picks on defensive backs. After all, the team did rank a solid ninth overall in pass coverage a season ago, according to Pro Football Focus.

In today's pass-driven NFL, however, it doesn't hurt to have a number of good cornerbacks. While Peters looks like he can become an instant starter, Nelson has the appearance of a guy who the Chiefs can develop for the future.

Nelson is a 5'10", 197-pound thumper at the cornerback position. In reality, he may even see some time at safety in the NFL, especially if he can pack a little more weight onto his frame. He is a very willing tackler and a guy who won't back down from opposing ball-carriers.

Nelson doesn't possess elite speed for the position (he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine), and he doesn't always make the right decisions in pass coverage. However, he is one of the better run-support corners in this draft and should have no trouble fitting in with the Kansas City defense.

He finished the 2014 season with 60 total tackles, eight passes defended and two interceptions.

Bleacher Report Lead NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller wrote the following of Nelson in his predraft analysis:

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Steven Nelson left his mark on the Senior Bowl, where he stood out all week and in the game. Nelson has a compact, short frame that’s backed up by a physical swagger on the field. He’s smooth breaking back to the ball and has the eyes to find the pass and quickly get in position to make a play on it. His feet on plant-and-drive technique is very good. He’s strong enough to be a factor jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage and brings that same mentality to tackling.

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Nelson does have a habit of holding receivers when they start to gain separation, and it is a habit he will have to rid himself of. He will also likely have to spend quite a bit of time learning the intricacies of opposing offenses in the NFL before he can start challenging for a starting position.

The good news for the Chiefs is that Nelson looks like a player who can at least contribute immediately in sub-packages and as a coverage man on special teams. This is certainly a solid pick, even if it isn't one that is going to generate a lot of excitement. 

Nelson certainly has room to grow, but he is a tough, physical all-around football player, which is exactly what the Chiefs are looking to add to their team.