Oakland Raiders: Nick Nelson’s NFL debut provides rare positivity for wounded secondary

Oakland Raiders cornerback Nick Nelson emerged as a defensive standout in his NFL debut, which is great news for a secondary at less than full strength.

Oakland Raiders rookie cornerback Nick Nelson’s pathway to the NFL started on the rough side. He suffered a torn meniscus during a predraft workout with the Detroit Lions but didn’t show any ill effects Friday as he darted across the field, breaking up passes and wrapping up on clean tackles against that same team.

After missing organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, Nelson returned to action during training camp, which put him on track to take the field for the first preseason game. The rookie fourth-rounder didn’t disappoint in his NFL debut. His primary competition for slot duties, Marcus Gilchrist, sat out with a foot injury. The Wisconsin product made the most of his opportunities.

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Nelson led the Raiders in solo tackles with five—one resulted in a loss. Most importantly, he’s a clean textbook tackler, which is important with the league’s new helmet rule.

In coverage, the first-year cornerback broke up one pass and nearly intercepted another that dropped right into his breadbasket. Outside of a defensive holding penalty, the former Badger put together an impressive performance.

Nelson’s play provides rare good news for the Raiders secondary that’s battling injuries.

As mentioned, Gilchrist didn’t suit up because of a foot ailment. Cornerback Gareon Conley warmed up with the team but sat out with a hip injury. Safety Obi Melifonwu missed a couple of practices before going inactive for Friday’s contest.

Ideally, the coaching staff would like to see all their up-and-coming defensive backs in action for a full assessment on the secondary, but Nelson’s first showing provides some positivity to offset the absences. In case injuries linger, the Raiders know they have a first-year player more than ready to take on a larger role.

Nelson spent two collegiate seasons at Hawaii and one at Wisconsin. He didn’t log a single interception in 35 games but led the nation in pass breakups with 21 during the previous year. The coaching staff may look at the tape and encourage him to hold on to an easy interception similar to the one that slipped out of his possession Friday. Nonetheless, there’s enough positive on film that should earn the coaching staff’s trust.

Gilchrist earns praise for his versatility as a defender capable of playing both safety spots and in the slot. His roster spot remains safe, but Nelson made a strong case to for more snaps at cornerback. Keep in mind he didn’t have a full offseason program because of injury. As the rookie picks up the scheme through practices and application during actual games, there’s plenty of room for growth.

Injuries in the secondary have frustrated Raiders fans, but they had to like what they saw in Nelson Friday. The pass defense needs the playmaking skills he displayed against the Lions.