The Las Vegas Raiders brought in some new talent at the cornerback spot, but it still remains a big question mark heading towards training camp.
The Las Vegas Raiders struggled in a big way on defense this past season, finishing in the bottom-3 in the NFL. While the offense had some down moments as well, they played well enough to win more than just the eight games the Raiders finished up with last season.
As we head into the summer months, the roster is being finalized, and we will get to see which players step up and earn starting roles. In the secondary, the safety position has been revamped, and the cornerback spot has new faces as well, but while safety seems solid, cornerback is still a question mark.
When it comes to those returning, Trayvon Mullen has been solid in his first two seasons in the NFL and could be in line for a breakout season in 2021. The problem is, who starts around him is still a mystery, and when you do not know who the starter is, it likely means you do not have a lot of starting-caliber talent on the roster.
Raiders must be better in the secondary
With Mullen on one side, the hope is that veteran Casey Hayward can come in and lock down the other outside cornerback role. Then there is the question of the slot cornerback, where guys like Nevin Lawson, Amik Robertson, and rookie Nate Hobbs are battling it out.
Also, there are still young players like Damon Arnette, Keisean Nixon, and Isaiah Johnson coming back, all of which will be looking to carve out roles. Gus Bradley is known for working wonders with the defensive backfield, but going into the summer, is there really anybody outside of Mullen that is written in pen in terms of starting at one of the three cornerback spots.
Casey Hayward signing a big one for the Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders needed to revamp the secondary this offseason, and they have done so in a big way via the NFL Draft and free agency.
If Hayward can be the player he was with the Chargers, and the team actually figures out the slot cornerback role, there is enough young talent for this unit to surprise in a good way. If anybody can get this secondary turned around, it is Bradley, but the Raiders face a gauntlet of elite quarterbacks in 2021 and will be tested early and often.
If they struggle again, the Raiders could be in for another long season defensively.