Chiefs defense will lean on Steven Nelson

On the Chiefs defense, no position turned over more than cornerback.

Gone are Marcus Peters, traded to the Rams, and Terrance Mitchell, Kenneth Acker and Phillip Gaines, who signed with other teams. Darrelle Revis retired.

They all had started at least once and were five of the top six players at the position in terms of snaps.

One veteran from the group returns.

The Chiefs hung on to Steven Nelson, who begins his fourth season as a projected starter.

“It is different, I will say that,” Nelson said. “We have a good foundation. It was only a matter of time before we build that chemistry that it doesn’t matter who is here.”

Nelson’s priority through organized team activities, mini-camp and into training camp has been to continue to work with and get to know fellow cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and David Amerson, who were acquired in the offseason.

Andy Reid estimated that all three will be on the field together 75 percent of the time, with Nelson and Fuller on the corners and Fuller moving to the slot in a sub package.

Nelson was mostly a special-teams player as a rookie after the Chiefs took him in the third round from Oregon State in 2015. He started 15 games the next season, lining up as a slot corner for most of his snaps and carded the third best defensive passer rating among players with at least 271 snaps at his position, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nelson looked to build on that experience last year but suffered a core muscle injury last August and spent the first seven weeks on the injured reserve list.

The Chiefs defense finished 28th in average yards allowed and the playoff loss to the Titans was a second-half meltdown. But in that game, Nelson played well allowing two completions in six targets.

Depth at cornerback remains an issue and the Chiefs are pursing Bashaud Breeland, the cornerback formerly with Washington who signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers after last season only to have it voided when he failed a physical.

Breeland visited the Chiefs last week, one of five teams he’s considering and is expected to make a decision soon. Still, the Chiefs like what they have in Nelson.

“Steven’s a high energy guy,” Reid said. “He can play inside and outside too, so it gives you flexibility. He had a heck of an offseason, conditioning-wise.”

And in other ways. Nelson was asked about his offseason and whether video games were among his downtime diversions. Not Nelson. He’s taken up meditation in a serious way over the past few months.

“That takes me to a whole other level,” Nelson said.

How did he get started? “The universe brought me closer to different people who were supposed to be in my path,” he said. “Starting off it’s a little rough. You don’t understand it, you don’t even know what you’re doing.

“But you really have to tap in and practice. Just like we practice.”

This story was originally published July 28, 2018 at 5:33 PM.