Oakland Raiders: Final grades for the rookies of 2018
By Brad Weiss
Nick Nelson spent the entire first half of the 2018 NFL season inactive, as he was dealing with a couple of issues with his health. First, he had to work his way back from a torn meniscus suffered in his draft workout for the Detroit Lions, which caused him to fall to the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round.
Finally healthy from that, Nelson had to deal with a hamstring issue, but once he made his NFL debut in Week 8, he was an active player the rest of the way. In fact, he made a couple of starts in year one, and showed he could play well in coverage, though he was burned on occasion.
Heading into next season, Nelson is going to be a part of a young group of cornerbacks who will be expected to turn this position group into a strength. He is a lot stronger than his frame would indicate, and could be a guy who is the starter in the slot for the team in 2019.