Raiders have cornerback options in 2020 NFL Draft that fit their scheme

Nickel Corners

There are also options should the Raiders look to draft a nickel corner to replace Lamarcus Joyner at some point in the slot. The thresholds for a player in Paul Guenther’s scheme, when looked at players drafted in Cincinnati and who the Raiders have plugged in at nickel, are between 5’8-5’11 and run at least a 4.55 40 yard dash.

The players on the list below may have actually played in the slot in college or project to become nickel corners in the NFL due to their size. They all have the ability to succeed in the Raiders system, and could be solid later-round selections this April.

Here are those players:

1. Terrell Burgess, Utah – Round 3
2. Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech – Round 3-4
3. Darnay Holmes, UCLA – Round 4
4. K’Von Wallace, Clemson – Round 4-5
5. Chris Williamson, Minnesota – Round 5-6
6. Essang Bassey, Wake Forest – Round 6-7

Joyner is still under contract, and the hope is that he can have a better second season wearing the Silver and Black. Even if the Raiders do decide to draft a cornerback early in the 2020 NFL Draft, they have some good picks in the third and fourth rounds, where they could look to continue to add to the position group.

Guys like Keisean Nixon and Isaiah Johnson will also be back with the team next season, and are both young enough, and talented enough to earn their way into the rotation. This is a secondary that has to be better in 2020, so the Raiders using two draft picks on the position group makes sense.