The Las Vegas Raiders' pass defense was far from the worst in the league last season. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near an elite level, as the secondary lacked impactful plays. Of the 10 interceptions that the defense managed in 2024, only one of those was caught by a player who is currently on the roster.
Head coach Pete Carroll is shaping the defense in the image that he wants, in particular, the defensive backfield. Incumbent cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson are both long and physical players, as is third-round pick Darien Porter. However, that size profile does not translate to slot corners.
After Nate Hobbs left this offseason, the Raiders were left with a notable void at this position. They neglected to draft a replacement or sign a veteran to fill the role, so they may need to search far and wide for a viable option. However, in the pool of undrafted rookies that they signed, they may have found a hidden gem.
Raiders' top UDFA has legit chance to make an immediate impact
Pro Football Focus' Ben Cooper recently named one undrafted rookie to watch for on each team. For the Raiders, that player was former Kansas cornerback Mello Dotson.
"Fourth-round picks Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson have each yet to crack a season-long 60.0 PFF overall grade in their young NFL careers, so the Raiders’ secondary may need to continue to hunt for aid," Cooper wrote. ""That’s where Kansas’ Mello Dotson comes in."
Cooper went on to explain exactly why Dotson has less of an uphill battle than most other undrafted rookies.
"He surprisingly fell out of the draft after being ranked 126th on PFF’s big board," wrote Cooper. "Dotson combined for 11 interceptions over the past three years (Bennett and Richardson are still searching for their first NFL interceptions) and allowed a sub-70.0 passer rating into his coverage in 2023 and 2024. Dotson will have to shore up his tackling, but he has a good shot at making Las Vegas’ roster."
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It is true that Dotson was a ballhawk at Kansas, as he recorded 11 interceptions and 24 pass breakups across three college seasons. He also had four defensive touchdowns in his final two campaigns.
While he primarily played on the outside in college, his overall skillset seems more transferable to playing in the slot at the professional level. A lack of ideal speed pushes Dotson toward being best-suited for a zone-heavy scheme, like Carroll and Raiders' defensive coordinator Patrick Graham favor.
It's obviously very early, but Dotson is lined up to make a strong push for a spot on the Raiders' 53-man roster. As a tentacle of that, with Carroll having zero care about anything other than who's the best player, there's an opportunity for him to impress the coaching staff and make a big push up the cornerback depth chart between now and the start of the season.