Chiefs’ Steven Nelson seeks to make statement in secondary

He played only 53 snaps at cornerback last season

He looks for more playing time this year as a second-year pro

Marcus Peters, Philip Gaines and Jamell Fleming join Nelson as returning veterans in secondary

Steven Nelson wasn’t sure what to expect as a Chiefs rookie defensive back, but he didn’t count a role as an observer.

But there he was, inactive for the Chiefs’ first four games, and participating in a total of 53 defensive snaps, or 4.9 percent of the season. He did log 126 plays on special teams, but the third-round selection from Oregon State had higher hopes for himself upon becoming a pro.

“It was very tough,” Nelson said. “Not being in there. I never had to go through anything like…