Nightmare scenarios for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023
By Brad Weiss
Nightmare scenarios for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023
- 3. Secondary does not improve
This offseason, general manager Dave Ziegler made it a point to improve the secondary in a big way. The Raiders added multiple defensive backs via the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as free agency, and many of them are going to be expected to come in and fight for starting jobs this summer.
At cornerback, the arrivals of Duke Shelley, David Long Jr., Brandon Facyson, and draft pick Jakorian Bennett should improve a unit that has some solid young talent. Amik Robertson had a strong season in 2022, and if Nate Hobbs can revert to the player he was as a rookie in 2021, the Silver and Black could have one of the best slot cornerbacks in the league.
At safety, free agent Marcus Epps will come in and lead a group that needs a big step in the right direction from third-year starter, Tre'Von Moehrig. The Raiders also may have struck gold in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, as Christoper Smith II was a unanimous All-American during his time at Georgia.
Playing in the AFC West, strong secondary play is paramount, especially with Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Russell Wilson quarterbacking the other three teams. If the Raiders defensive backs do not improve over the porous unit they were a year ago, it could be another long season in Sin City.