Mike Mayock has made his living after the first round as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Nate Hobbs could be another steal.
During his time as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders franchise, Mike Mayock has made his living after the first round. In his first two NFL Drafts, Mayock held five first-round picks, and outside of Josh Jacobs, the group as a whole has either underwhelmed or is still progressing towards being legitimate contributors.
Where Mayock has done a nice job is after the first round ends, bringing in talent like Trayvon Mullen, Maxx Crosby, and Hunter Renfrow in 2019. Last year, the Silver and Black added Bryan Edwards, John Simpson, and Amik Robertson to name a few after the first round, and the jury is still out on all of them.
In 2021, Mayock will once again have to hope that his Day 3 picks hit, and one pick, Nate Hobbs, certainly looks like he could end up being quite the steal. Hobbs was the 167th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, a fifth-round selection, and based on his size, and speed, he looks like an NFL cornerback right now.
A four-year starter for Lovie Smith at Illinois, Hobbs was able to learn under one of the better defensive minds in football. During his Pro Day, he also showed off elite athleticism, running a sub-4.40 40-yard dash, while also showcasing a plus-40 inch vertical.
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Overall, this is going to be a completely new-look secondary for the Raiders in 2021, and Hobbs could end up playing a huge role before all is said and done. There are question marks at cornerback for sure, which means the door could swing open for a physical specimen like Hobbs to get a real opportunity as a rookie.