Las Vegas Raiders: AFC South 2021 free agents to ‘steal’
Malik Hooker as the safety of the present and future in Las Vegas
There was some debate here as the Indianapolis Colts had plenty of candidates for this slot, with the likes of TY Hilton becoming the number one receiver or Xavier Rhodes being the veteran cornerback that Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock are searching for. The winner here however is safety Malik Hooker, who would fill a great position of need for the Raiders.
Hooker has had many issues with injuries in his short career and after two seasons where he played in 13 and 14 games respectively, he played in just two games in 2020. The former Ohio State Buckeye tore his Achilles in the second game of the season and was placed on injured reserve, for the rest of the season.
A former first-round pick, Hooker is electric when on the field and has shown a great knack for forcing turnovers and making plays. In 36 career games, Hooker has seven interceptions, 11 passes defended, and two fumble recoveries to go with 124 tackles.
If he is healthy, which is a big if, he could be a long-term solution for the Raiders at the free safety position where they have struggled to find talent since the retirement of Charles Woodson.
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If Malik Hooker is available at a low price, he is absolutely worth the gamble as he has flashed plenty of ability and an Achilles tear is no longer the career-ender it once was. This is the type of low-risk, high-reward signing that a team desperate for defensive talent should make, and it could change the makeup of the entire defense if it works out.