Pete Carroll has shifted the atmosphere in Las Vegas, as for the first time in years, a true sense of hope is brewing around the Raiders.
With him, Carroll has brought the tools that made him successful with the Seattle Seahawks. He has his former quarterback in Geno Smith, and he has his ideal cornerback archetype in third-round rookie Darien Porter.
But are the Raiders putting too much stock into Porter's performance this season?
Raiders may be relying heavily on rookie CB Darien Porter
When Pete Carroll built his empire with the Seattle Seahawks, big, fast cornerbacks were a staple of his defense. Think of the players in the famous "Legion of Boom." Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, and Byron Maxwell all used their length and athleticism to overwhelm receivers and quarterbacks.
Carroll might be trying to recreate that success with rookie cornerback Darien Porter.
Porter stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 194 pounds, making him almost the exact same size as legendary Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. He ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February, which ranked second among cornerbacks.
He's still developing the instincts necessary to play cornerback at a high level, as he just switched over from playing receiver a few years ago. If Porter can adjust to the NFL game quickly, the Raiders could have a star defender on their hands.
But he might not be given much time to make that adjustment. After letting Nate Hobbs walk in free agency and parting ways with Jack Jones, the Raiders have done very little to address the outside cornerback position.
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They brought in Eric Stokes, a speedy but inconsistent cornerback who was cast out by the Green Bay Packers. Stokes is expected to take one of the starting outside cornerback spots, and the other seems to belong to Porter.
That is a tall order for a cornerback who has only played the position for a few years. NFL teams won't hesitate to pick on the weak link of a defensive secondary, so if Porter isn't up to snuff, he'll get exposed early and often.
Luckily for Porter, he has the support around him necessary to develop into a quality player. Carroll has coached players like him before, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is quickly becoming one of the best in the sport.
Graham's defense ranked in the top half of the league in success rate last season, despite having limited talent available due to injury. If any pair of coaches can turn Porter into a star, it's these two.
Porter will face trial by fire early in his rookie year, as the Raiders play Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders in Week 3. If Porter can accelerate his development and quickly become a quality starter, he could help the Raiders make a surprise playoff push this season