Veteran cornerback Steven Nelson has been a rock-solid contributor to the Houston Texans’ defense in his first year with the team and had his best showing of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. He managed to record the first sack of his NFL career in the game and forced just the second fumble of his career since entering the league in 2015.
Originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round, Nelson was known for his tackling ability in college, where he played at Oregon State University as a standout member of the Beavers’ secondary. Now a tested veteran at the NFL level, the skillset that made him a prized prospect back in 2015 continues to serve him well for the Texans.
He has bounced around the league a bit since cutting ties with the Chiefs in 2018 and played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Eagles before signing with the Texans this year in the offseason. Houston was in desperate need of experience in their secondary after bringing in two highly touted players in the draft, Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre, who most thought would take time to develop into elite contributors at the pro level.
While Pitre in particular has thrived as a rookie, Stingley is still benefitting from the mentorship of players like Nelson in his first professional season and will continue seeking the input of veterans who will help guide him on his journey in the NFL. Nelson will play a particularly interesting role as part of Stingley’s safety net as he helps the up-and-comer acclimate to the challenges of playing against top-level talent week in and week out.
With the breadth of experience Nelson brings to the table, he will continue being an integral part of Houston’s defensive improvement, not only as a mentor to younger players but to the defense’s cohesion at large. More performances like the one he turned out against Philadelphia will help get the Texans back to a level where they can compete consistently, and could lay the foundation for defensive excellence as the team looks to rebuild in 2023.