With NFL free agency just a few weeks away, there is a good chance that the Raiders could lose Casey Hayward Jr. He was their top cornerback last year and with Gus Bradley off to the Indianapolis Colts, it seems likely that Hayward will follow.
Without Hayward, the Raiders are in serious trouble at cornerback. They have the slot position locked down with Nate Hobbs, but the outside cornerback spots are up for grabs. Trayvon Mullen is talented, but he’s had a hard time staying healthy. After him, the cupboard is pretty bare.
So could the Raiders pick a cornerback in Round 1? In a recent mock draft by Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus, he gave the Raiders cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. from Clemson at pick No. 22. Here is his reasoning behind that selection:
“The Raiders have work to do in the secondary, so they add Booth, who is smooth-moving and scheme diverse. Booth played just under 1,000 snaps in his college career, so there’s room to grow for the true junior.”
Booth has outstanding feet and he is capable of mirroring any receiver. He’s also got the ideal size and speed to play the position. The only real knocks on Booth are the lack of experience and he is a suspect tackler. Other than that, he’s got everything you would want in a top-end cornerback prospect.
If the Raiders don’t make any big moves in free agency to address their cornerback room, don’t be surprised if someone like Booth would be on their radar at the 2022 NFL Draft.
