Las Vegas Raiders: Top-3 position groups to address early in the Draft
By Matt Holder
Cornerback
Las Vegas’ defensive backfield looks a lot different from a year ago. At this point last season, Daryl Worley and Gareon Conley were the starters at corner, and Karl Joseph and Erik Harris topped the depth chart at safety. Now, Worley is looking for a new team, Conley and Joseph are playing elsewhere and Harris will likely enter a training camp battle with new acquisitions, Damarious Randall and Jeff Heath.
While the safety room is crowded and doesn’t necessarily need to be addressed, there’s plenty of space to add another cornerback.
Trayvon Mullen and Isaiah Johnson are currently slated as the starters. Mullen shined as a rookie and is a building block for the future, however, Johnson is a big question mark.
Last year’s fourth-round pick was considered a project when he was selected and unfortunately, an injury held back some of his development. Johnson suffered a facial fracture early in preseason limiting him to one game in August, and he was only able to take 14 defensive snaps during the regular season.
While he may develop into a long-term starter for the Silver and Black, it’d be a big risk to assume he’s ready to take over the reins this year without at least some competition in training camp.
The Raiders’ dream draft scenario would be if Jeffery Okudah fell into their laps at pick 12, but there is probably a less than one percent chance of that happening. That leaves C.J. Henderson and Kristian Fulton as the organization’s most practical first-round options at the position.
The latter would likely be a better fit in Las Vegas as The Draft Network’s Ben Solak describes him as a “scheme-transcendent” player, whereas the former is at his best in press-man coverage which is a technique defensive coordinator Paul Guenther doesn’t utilize very often.
Don’t be surprised if the Silver and Black use their first selection on a corner as, in my opinion, there is a big drop off in talent at the position after those two and is the team’s biggest need.