Raiders: Nate Hobbs emerging as potential star in Year 2
By Preston Seyl
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs has been very impressive throughout camp making the necessary strides to be a true CB1.
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs had a pretty good rookie year last year ending with an overall rank of 79.1 per PFF. He was well-rounded in run defense and pass coverage, and he also pitched in with 54 solo tackles, tied for ninth at the cornerback position.
During camp, he needed to prove to Patrick Graham and the new coaching staff that he belonged and that he could play a vital role in taking this defense up a notch. With only one interception as a rookie, he needs to get his hands on the ball more often, but the Raiders as a team were in the bottom half of the league in takeaways.
Raiders have iron sharpening iron in practice
Seeing Davante Adams every day in practice is only helping Hobbs develop as a corner, and he has taken many strides throughout camp, holding his own. He has been utilized in a hybrid way as an outside corner, nickel, and safety making him more versatile in the scheme.
For a fifth-round draft pick, he more than surpassed expectations last year. PFF graded Hobbs above 70 in every category of pass coverage, run defense, and even a 78 for pass rush. This showed that he is very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways disguising coverages pre-snap and post-snap.
In his second year in the league, with great teachers by his side, Nate Hobbs will allow Patrick Graham to be more diverse in his scheme, as Hobbs showed that he can also rush the passer in certain situations.
Nate Hobbs will continue to grow in his second year, and he is very important to the success of the defense as the first two levels of the defense will overachieve. The addition of Chandler Jones to the defense to pair with Maxx Crosby should make it a bit easier for the backend, creating more opportunities for turnovers, and Hobbs will be waiting with open arms.