As the 2021 NFL draft came and went, the Bills did little to address the No. 2 cornerback spot on their defense.
Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson are set to duke it out in that training camp battle as of now. Perhaps Buffalo’s front office is fine with that prospect, however, some believed the recent draft would be a great place to find another player to battle for playing time there.
Rookie sixth-round pick Rachad Wildgoose could factor in, but he also might be better suited to trying to find playing time at the nickel spot. Considering that, some then turned their attention back to free agency as a spot where the Bills might find that third piece for the No. 2 battle.
Among those thinking of options was Bleacher Report recently and they have an idea. Going through some of the top free agents still on the market post-draft, B/R pegged Buffalo as a potential suitor for former Steelers cornerback Steve Nelson:
Anyone who wishes they would have come away from the draft with a starting outside cornerback but didn’t should be on the phone with Steven Nelson’s agent.
Nelson’s role as a starting corner on one of the league’s premier defenses over the past two seasons should be enough to convince someone to ink him to a contract sooner rather than later.
Starting 30 games Steelers over two seasons, he allowed a 58.2 percent completion percentage on 98 targets in 2020 and 50 percent on 74 targets in 2019.
While many on this list are on the wrong side of 30 Nelson is 28 years old.
B/R continued:
If Nelson is looking to get back on a playoff team, the most obvious fit would be the Buffalo Bills. The AFC East favorite doesn’t have much depth behind Tre’Davious White and Levi Wallace. With the AFC Championship road going through Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, it wouldn’t hurt to add another high-quality corner.
Nelson was released by the Steelers in April. Steelers Wire reported that the move was a salary cap move and not based off Nelson’s play.
In addition to the Bills, the Cardinals and 49ers were named as potential suitors for Nelson by B/R. However, per Niners Wire, the 49ers are talking to Richard Sherman about potentially returning. Adding both Sherman and Nelson seems unlikely, which might help the Bills if they are interested in Nelson’s services.
Aside from Sherman, it’s hard to envision the Bills finding a better 1-2 option on the outside of their defense than Nelson and Tre’Davious White at this time. But if the Bills do decide to move forward with the way things stand, Wallace has the inside track on winning that job over Jackson.
Wallace has preformed well, at times, over the past few seasons in Buffalo’s secondary. Taking that route is still a decent option for the Bills.
[lawrence-related id=81974,81972,81966,81957]