Raiders: DBs take center stage Day 2 of NFL Scouting Combine
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders were downright bad in their defensive backfield last season, and on Day 2 of the Scouting Combine, help takes centerstage.
As is seemingly the case every off-season for the Las Vegas Raiders, the defensive backfield is in line to get a major shakeup. Whether it is in free agency or the 2023 NFL Draft, you can be sure that multiple defensive backs will be joining the roster across the next few months as David Ziegler tries to figure out a way to stop the likes of Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes twice a season.
On Friday, the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will have Day 2 of their on-field workouts, and the defensive backs and special teams players will take center stage. For the Silver and Black, this will be a great opportunity to see players that should be able to come in and start right away, as this draft class is loaded with talent at both cornerback and safety.
Raiders need major help in their defensive backfield
The 2022 NFL season saw second-year defensive backs Nate Hobbs and Trevon Moehrig take a step back in terms of production, something that should worry Raiders fans. Both players were outstanding as rookies in 2021, and it is possible that the change in defensive coordinators may have had something to do with their struggles.
Moehrig and Hobbs will be starters in 2023, and the team should do everything they can to bring back Rock Ya-Sin. Outside of those three, Amik Robertson is likely to be back next season, but overall, the team needs to add another starter at both cornerback and safety this offseason.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez from Oregon is a player rumored to be in the Raiders’ sights at No. 7 overall, and he is joined by Joey Porter Jr., Devon Witherspoon, and possibly even Cam Smith as first-round talents at the position group. At safety, Brian Branch and Antonio Johnson could go on Day 1, but for the most part, Las Vegas is going to be able to get a Day 1 starter on Day 2 for their defensive backfield.
The party gets started on Friday at 12:00pm PT, and you can watch all of the action on NFL+, NFL.com, and of course, fuboTV. The Raiders are set in terms of special teams, so on Friday, all eyes are going to be on which safeties or cornerbacks could possibly put on the Silver and Black in 2023.