Chicago Bears: 5 underrated cornerback targets in 2018 NFL Draft

Nick Nelson, Wisconsin

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 204

Are you ready for an impressive number? 21: The amount of passes broken up by Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Nick Nelson in 2017. Nelson set the school record with that feat .

A leader on the number two overall defense in the nation in 2017, Nelson started all 14 games for the Badgers. He is a physical corner, giving receivers fits with the strength.

A concern for Nelson may be his speed. He measures as a slightly bigger guy than others on this list, and that might keep him from going up in most mock drafts in the coming weeks. However, if Nelson has an excellent combine and shows improved speed, the worries could all fade.

Some scouts do not like the fact that Nelson didn’t pick off a single pass in 2017. While the stat sheet shows a zero, he did account for plenty of turnover on downs with those 21 pass breakups.

In a Fangio defense, corners are able to thrive a bit more because of how tenacious the front seven can be. He likes to mix things up creating lanes for pass rushers, so for a guy like Nelson to come into that scheme, he will no doubt have his shot at some poorly thrown balls.

The way I see it, turnovers aren’t as much of a problem if Nelson continues to deny receivers the football. That’s the first priority.

Nelson is currently projected to go somewhere between rounds two and three by most mocks, and that’s an area Pace could look to make a move toward him. The Bears might even make a move to pick up additional picks if a team desires their eighth overall selection, so look for Nelson to be a definite possibility.