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Broncos Termed 'Best Landing Spot' for Starting CB
The Denver Broncos quietly addressed many of their needs in free agency — cornerback, despite recent efforts, not being one of them.
As such, Pro Football Focus has termed Denver the "best landing spot" for former Houston Texans veteran cornerback Steven Nelson, one of its top 20 free agents left on the open market.
"Nelson was a great fit for the Houston Texans in back-to-back seasons despite a defensive shift from Lovie Smith to DeMeco Ryans," wrote PFF analyst Brad Spielberger. "He has logged a healthy dose of snaps in so many different coverage schemes dating back to his days with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. The ever-consistent Nelson played 950-plus snaps for the sixth consecutive season in 2023, best suited in off coverage with great lateral agility and the instincts to click and close still popping up on tape in coverage and run support."
Nelson, 31, is entering his tenth NFL campaign, having spent his first four years in Kansas City, his next two in Pittsburgh, one in Philadelphia, and the past two in Houston. He's compiled 374 solo tackles, 78 pass deflections, and 13 interceptions across 130 career games, including 115 starts.
In 2023, Nelson graded out as PFF's No. 29 CB among 127 qualifiers, earning plus pass-coverage marks (73.4). Context: Broncos Pro Bowl corner Patrick Surtain II finished tied for 42nd overall, with a 64.7 coverage rating.
After whiffing on now-Chargers CB Kristian Fulton, Denver makes sense as an on-paper suitor for Nelson, who'd offer an experienced presence — a la Fabian Moreau — to a largely unproven secondary.
Whether it materializes off-paper, however, is a different story.
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ZACK KELBERMAN
Zack Kelberman is the Senior Editor for Mile High Huddle. He has covered the NFL for more than a decade and the Denver Broncos since 2016. He's also the co-host of the wildly popular Broncos show the Mile High Huddle Podcast.