Pete Carroll's roots as a coach are on the defensive side of the ball, so he definitely has things he prefers from each position. At cornerback, based on the success he had with the Seattle Seahawks, he definitely has a type. Long, say 6-foot tall or above with 32-inch or longer arms, with a physical playing style are the basic template there.
Think Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner and Riq Woolen from Carroll's time in Seattle. Carroll may only be inheriting one Raiders cornerback who fits that profile (Decamerion Richardson), though Jakorian Bennett is not far off measurement-wise.
The adage "you can never have too many corners" is easy in today's NFL, and with that in mind the Raiders are sure to take at least one in the draft later this month.
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus has tabbed who he sees as the best fit for each team on Day 2 of this year's draft. For the Raiders, he had East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel.
"Pete Carroll values length and physicality at the cornerback position as much as any coach in the NFL. Revel provides that in spades as an explosive athlete who can excel in press-man coverages. He would be a key addition to the Raiders’ 32nd-ranked coverage unit (30.4 PFF grade) from last season."
PFF gives Pete Carroll building block for new 'Legion of Boom' as Day 2 draft target
If not for a torn left ACL suffered in practice last fall that ended his season in September, Revel would probably be a first-round lock. With a February update from his doctor saying he'll be ready for the start of the 2025 season, he might end up going late in the first round anyway.
After a breakthrough season in 2023 (13 pass breakups, 54 total tackles), Revel set aside transfer portal/NIL interest from bigger schools to stay at East Carolina. In just three games last season he had two interceptions, including a pick-six.
According to Pro Football Focus, Revel forced incompletions on 24 percent of his targets in 2023, trailing 2024 first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell by just one percent. Evaluators point to a need for general technique refinement, but the tools are there.
There are a number who fit the bill, but there's a case to made for Revel (6-foot-2, 194 pounds, 32-5/8-inch arm length, 79-3/4 inch wingspan) as the most prototypical "Pete Carroll" cornerback in this year's draft class. If he lasts to the second round (pick 37), Las Vegas may not be on the clock long. Or how about a trade up to get him?