Raiders: Secondary should be better than expected in 2022

The Las Vegas Raiders did a nice job bolstering their secondary for the 2022 season, but will they be even better than expected.

It is no big secret that secondary play has been an issue for the Las Vegas Raiders for many years now. They have struggled to find the right combination at the cornerback and safety spots, and have spent numerous high draft picks trying to remedy the situation.

From guys like Damon Arnette to Johnathan Abram, and even Trayvon Mullen, the Raiders have spent early picks on the defensive backfield, and it has yielded few results. However, that was before the 2021 NFL Draft, where the team traded up for Tre’Von Moehrig in the second round and got an absolute steal in Nate Hobbs on Day 3.

Now, with a tremendous influx of talent this offseason, including Rock Ya-Sin, Duron Harmon, and Anthony Averett to name a few, the secondary is deep. That is going to lead to some incredible position battles this offseason, and that is always a good thing.

While the Raiders should be better in the secondary, will they be a lot better than expected?

Raiders’ secondary ranked very low in a recent poll

In a recent piece by Mike Renner from Pro Football Focus, he listed all 32 defensive backfields in the NFL by ranking. Not surprisingly, he was very low on Las Vegas, putting them as the No. 29 group in all of football this season.

While this is a fairly new group and has to mesh together, you would have to think the talent they have would warrant them being a bit higher on this list. Mullen has proven to be a solid player when healthy, Moehrig is a potential superstar, and Ya-Sin is a guy who has had a lot of success at the NFL level.

Finally, Hobbs is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the league.

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This ranking has to be based on history, as the Raiders have struggled in a big way to stop the pass. The 2022 season should be different, as the pass rush should be better, and that should lead to more opportunities for this group to force turnovers.

Only time will tell, but this is a group to be excited about.