There were mixed reactions when the Las Vegas Raiders selected Damon Arnette the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft but the team is high on the rookie cornerback.
The Las Vegas Raiders were in great need of a cornerback after losing Daryl Worley in free agency and Gareon Conley via trade so they went out and got one in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Damon Arnette out of Ohio State was the lucky pick and despite his early selection, he comes in to the NFL with a chip on his shoulder.
The reaction to the selection was a mix of surprise that the Raiders selected Arnette because he was not a popular name linked with them in the mock drafts and shock that they would “reach” for him that early. The backlash to the backlash as they say was that Arnette was well worth the selection and we will dive in to why that is the case.
Arnette had an eventful college career at Ohio State and had some adversity but was able to overcome that and cap off his career as a first round pick. Being a first round pick brings a ton of expectations, and is going to be expected to challenge for a starting role as a rookie.
Here we take a look at his college career, why and where he was drafted, and what his role may be in Year 1.
Las Vegas Raiders Rookie Roles: Cornerback Damon Arnette
College Career
Damon Arnette was originally a three-star recruit out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he, in a funny twist of fate, played for the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders. He made his way to Ohio State but redshirted his freshman season after an injury was discovered to his tibia in pre-season training camp.
In his redshirt freshman season, Arnette was a reserve defensive back, but still played in 11 games for the Buckeyes and recorded his first interception at the college level. The following two seasons he was named a starter and recorded 40+ tackles and at least one interception in both years.
His play earned him an Honorable Mention to the All-Big Ten team and after his junior year he was planning to declare for the NFL Draft.
He graded out as a mid to late round pick at the time but before he could officially declare, he received a call from Buckeye legend Cris Carter that convinced him to return for his senior season.
The call from Carter did wonders for his career, as he had an excellent senior season that saw him earn a Second-Team All-Big Ten honor despite playing most of the year with a broken wrist. Arnette and fellow first rounder Jeff Okudah formed a fearsome cornerback tandem and he will hope to do the same with second year corner Trayvon Mullen in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Raiders Rookie Roles: Cornerback Damon Arnette
Why and where he was drafted
As mentioned, Arnette originally planned to declare for the NFL Draft after his junior season that would have seen him likely selected in the mid to late rounds. After that stellar senior season, his grade improved to a second or third rounder according to many pundits and the move obviously paid off as he was chosen 19th overall by the Raiders.
The Raiders fell in love with his physicality and versatility and GM Mike Mayock gushed about his ability to play all over the field. Mayock described Arnette as “tough as nails” and that assessment is backed up by his play for the entire season with that broken wrist.
There was some controversy surrounding Arnette’s 40 time at the NFL Combine as the official time had him at 4.56 but the stopwatches of several scouts had him in the 4.4 range. The belief is that the clock started before Arnette began running and in the 40 yard dash where .2 seconds is an eternity it may have made a huge impact on his draft stock.
Regardless of the measurables the Raiders feel that he is the talented, physical corner that they can count on for the next decade though they may not lean on him so quickly.
Las Vegas Raiders Rookie Roles: Cornerback Damon Arnette
Role as a Rookie
The Raiders needs at cornerback were so great that they knew they could not only address them in the draft so they turned to free agency as well. They originally brought in Eli Apple from the New Orleans Saints but the sides could not agree on terms and they brought in another veteran in Prince Amukamara from the Chicago Bears.
Amukamara is one of the elder statesman in the defensive backfield and as such the Raiders will likely lean on him to start initially opposite Mullen. Perhaps if this was a traditional offseason that included the usual four preseason games Arnette could play his way in to the starting role before Week 1 but nothing about this summer is business as usual.
As such the Raiders will likely go the patient route with Arnette and allow him to come along slowly and eventually grow in to the starting role. We can expect him to come in as needed when teams go with four or five wide receivers and to spell Amukamara or Mullen as needed.
There is always a great deal of turnover at the defensive back positions over the course of the season so we can expect him to get a shot at starting at some point.
Early on we will have to settle for the former Buckeye to make his presence felt on special teams similar to fellow rookie Tanner Muse. The Raiders are high on Arnette and will give him every chance to succeed and Raider Nation will have to hope that he turns out better than the last Ohio State corner the team selected in the first round.