New England Patriots Possible Target in the 2015 NFL Draft – Steven Nelson, CB Oregon State
 CB Steven Nelson could be a Patriots target in the middle rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft. (USA TODAY Images) |
As the 2015 NFL Draft draws closer we’ll profile some of the players that may be on the Patriots radar. Some of these players have already been linked to New England as possible targets others, we feel would be a great fit.
Check out our earlier 2015 NFL Draft profiles on PatsFans.com:
DE/OLB Nate Orchard from Utah
WR Tyrell Williams from Western Oregon
DT Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma
DT Carl Davis from Iowa
RB David Johnson from Northern Iowa
The Patriots are dealing with the loss of their two starting corners Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner who spearheaded the defense to a Super Bowl victory and then both left via free agency. Both brought a different element to the team and were very effective in 2014.
There is no replacing Revis, who still ranks as one of if not the top cornerback in the league. The plan will be to beef up the front seven, improve the team’s pass rush and find some younger talent to take their place.
The Patriots have Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Alfonzo Dennard and Justin Green on the roster at cornerback. During free agency, the team signed former Eagle Bradley Fletcher and former Falcon Robert McClain during free agency. So they will probably still address this position in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Steven Nelson from Oregon State will be an attractive target for the Patriots in the mid rounds (3-4) that could boost the depth of the unit and enter in the competition to start for the Patriots in 2015. He recently ran a 4.49 at Oregon State’s Pro Day.
Nelson’s stock rose with an impressive Senior Bowl performance. Not ideal height but solidly built for a corner at 5’10, 200, Nelson is an aggressive, physical corner who is very good in run support and has that extra gear when the ball is in the air to close and swat it away. A two-year starter, he registered 14 passes defensed as a junior. He was credited with eight more as a senior as teams stayed away from him more.
Very confident, with a more than a bit of swagger, will undercut routes to either breakup or intercept passes underneath. In one Senior Bowl practice he broke up four passes alone. He will have to refine his technique at the pro level however, as he tends to grab receivers a lot in man coverage.
Pros:
- Aggressive, physical corner who can jam receivers at the line
- Very good ball awareness, and hand-eye coordination to knock passes away
- Willing and able in run support, not shy about making tackles of bigger backs
Cons
- Lacks ideal height, straight line speed
- Can be too grabby with his hands which could land him into penalty trouble
Where Can the Patriots get him:
Nelson should be around during Rounds 3 or 4 depending upon how the board plays out. In our Mock Draft 2.0 we had the Patriots selecting both Nelson in Round 4 but P.J. Williams in Round 1.
With the Patriots looking for answers for their defense, they will look to the draft, and may dip twice into the cornerback pool to try to find the right mix of size, aggressiveness and ability to beef up the position.
In the middle rounds Nelson, who also sports the same name as a Patriots team HOFer LB, would be a nice choice. He has the ability to jam receivers at the line and play man coverage or play off-coverage. When he keeps the play in front of him, he’s very effective at limiting yards after catch. With the Patriots probably playing more zone this season, he may be an inviting target.
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