Las Vegas Raiders: 5 takeaways from 2021 Preseason Game No. 1
Nate Hobbs appears to be a playmaker
Another area that the Raiders needed to improve this offseason was the secondary, as the team was atrocious at both cornerback and safety last season. They attempted to do this by trading up for Tre’Von Moehrig, bringing another talented safety into the fold, as well as adding former Raiders first-round pick Karl Joseph in free agency.
At cornerback, Gus Bradley brought back a familiar face in Casey Hayward, who starred for him during his time with the Chargers. Also, Las Vegas used a fifth-round pick on Nate Hobbs, a talented cornerback from Illinois who was been turning heads since putting on the Silver and Black.
On Saturday, Hobbs proved himself to be a playmaker, getting to quarterback Geno Smith for what appeared to be a strip-sack. Unfortunately, the fumble was called back, but the hit knocked out Smith for a few plays and demonstrated the kind of thunder this guy can bring from his slot cornerback position.