The Las Vegas Raiders have made some significant additions to their defense this offseason, none bigger than signing Christian Wilkins. The Raiders already had one of the best defenses in the league this season and added more talent and depth to the unit.
For the most part, we know who will be starting for the Raiders and we know the primary backups at each spot. But the biggest position battle left on that side of the ball is at cornerback. Jack Jones will be one of the starters and Nate Hobbs will play in the slot. But who will be their No. 2 outside cornerback?
In a recent article by Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, they tried to answer that question. Tafur also included a nugget about a veteran cornerback that the Raiders were recently interested in before he retired:
Assuming that the talented Nate Hobbs is lined up in the slot, that leaves Brandon Facyson or Jakorian Bennett on the other side. Facyson was solid in his first stint with the Raiders under Gus Bradley but was hurt last year, while Bennett had a rough rookie season in 2023.
Telesco was looking at adding veteran free agent Steven Nelson before he retired, so we’ll see what the GM’s next move is and how long he waits to see how badly he needs to make it.
The good news is that Hobbs could be the other outside cornerback in a pinch, but Patrick Graham’s defense lives in nickel (five defensive backs). Someone is going to have to emerge from the pack if the defense wants to reach their full potential.
Look for Bennett to get the first crack at the job, but if he struggles, Stephon Gilmore and Xavien Howard could be called to help settle the position. Keep an eye on the cornerback room in camp, as it will be one of the Raiders’ biggest storylines going into the year.
