The Las Vegas Raiders massively improved this offseason under new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. The one position they did not properly address, however, is cornerback after the departures of Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs and Jakorian Bennett.
In Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, however, the Raiders' secondary held up just fine against the New England Patriots. On Sunday, the Patriots hung 33 points on the Miami Dolphins, so Las Vegas' performance already looks better a week later.
On Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, however, the challenge will be even greater. One Las Vegas cornerback, in particular, will need to answer the call in what will be a daunting test for the young player, whose prowess was overlooked last week.
Kyu Blu Kelly must step up for Raiders against tougher Chargers offense
Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, a Las Vegas native, bounced around on the end of several NFL rosters before finally emerging as a starter for the Raiders. He seemed as good as gone entering August, but it seemingly all clicked for him during the preseason.
Against the Patriots in Week 1, he earned an average overall Pro Football Focus grade of 65.2, as well as a coverage grade of 67.6. He allowed six catches on eight targets and gave up a passer rating of 99.5 last Sunday.
But his six yards allowed after the catch and eight total tackles indicate that Kelly was relatively sticky in coverage. Kelly was also penalized once for pass interference, but the call was questionable, at best.
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New England, despite the offense playing well in Week 2, does not exactly have the best wide receiver corps. The Chargers, however, seemingly have a formidable trio of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen, which is a far taller task to defend.
Kelly needs to step up on Monday, as last week, the coaching staff displayed no faith in backups Decamerion Richardson or Darien Porter. The latter two played zero combined defensive snaps, as Kelly and Eric Stokes each played all 71.
This will be a bit of a make-or-break game for both Kelly and the Las Vegas cornerback room. If Kelly or one of the other young players answers the bell, the team may keep investing in their youth. But if they falter against a better opponent, a veteran addition may finally be in order.