During the 2023 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders pulled off a solid free agency move, bringing in former New England Patriots cornerback, Jack Jones. The move for Jones was not met with much hype at the time, as not many in Raider Nation knew they kind of player he was, and what he would bring to the table.
However, it did not take Jones to make a statement for himself in the Silver and Black, as he became the leader of the Raiders cornerback room. He had many highlight plays towards the end of the season, and really played a key role in the Raiders defense becoming one of the best in the game.
In 2024, Jones is back, and will be expected to once again lead a group that has very low expectations on them going into this season. Las Vegas did not add one of the elite draft cornerbacks this past April, waiting until Day 3 to address the position group, and have yet to make a big splash at the position in free agency as well.
Raiders could look to free agency still for help
Looking at the current list of free agent cornerbacks, there are some players available who could come in and help the Raiders right away. Xavien Howard, JC Jackson, and Adoree Jackson are still out there, as is Stephon Gilmore, who could bring another veteran presence to the cornerback room.
In the draft, the Raiders added two solid players in Decamerion Richardson and MJ Devonshire, but it is anybody's guess as to whether they will be able to contribute in Year 1. Free agency may be a smart move for the Raiders to at least bring in one of these veteran guys and see how much is in the tank going into the 2024 campaign.