Raiders case study: The 2007 New York Giants

The secondary

While the safeties are fairly similar between the two squads, the 2024 Raiders need to step up a bit at cornerback to match the production of the Giants’ secondary as a whole. The Giants' defense collected 15 interceptions during the 2007 season while the Raiders only managed 13 in 2023. However, our best corner at intercepting passes, Jack Jones, joined late in the year. With a full season of him as a starter, the team should pick off more passes and close this gap. Not to mention, the defensive line should make their job easier. 

Gibril Wilson, the Giants starting free safety, and Tre’von Moehrig, the Raiders starter, are quite similar players. Wilson was entering his fourth season, just like Moehrig will be, and they are both very strong in the run game and solid in coverage but do not necessarily make big plays. Moehrig had 83 tackles to go with eight passes defended and three interceptions, while Wilson recorded 92 tackles with seven passes defended and four interceptions. These numbers are similar and make sense given the playing style they both employ.

At strong safety, Marcus Epps and the Giants’ James Butler are also very similar. Much like their free safety counterparts, they are not big playmakers but they are incredible tacklers and solid in coverage. During the 2007 campaign, Butler had 68 tackles and seven passes defended to go along with a forced fumble. Epps in 2023 recorded 66 tackles with three passes defended, as well as both a fumble recovered and forced. 

The Giants cornerback room in ’07 was far stronger than the Raiders’ was last year. The trio of Sam Madison, Aaron Ross and Kevin Dockery were far more productive than Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, and either Brandon Facyson or Jakorian Bennett were. Jones played at a level similar to Ross, their CB2, where they both made some big plays but lacked consistency all year. Jones joined the team late, so maybe a full offseason with the Raiders will help. Nate Hobbs was similar in production to Kevin Dockery, their CB3, where neither really put a premium on plays on the ball but they are good tacklers and are solid in coverage.

The problem is, the Giants’ best corner had four interceptions with 14 passes defended, and no player on the Raiders roster matched that last season. Perhaps Jack Jones could rise to this level and be a true difference-maker all year, but then we would need Facyson or Bennett to step up and be as successful as Jones was in 2023. As I mentioned, there is something to be said for an incredible defensive line helping out a secondary. If nobody steps up at corner, the defensive line will have to get home early and often for the defense to not be burdened by their weakest link.