The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t focus on defense too much during the first two days of the 2025 NFL draft, as four of their picks in the top 100 were spent on the offensive side of the ball. The one exception to that rule was cornerback Darien Porter out of Iowa State.
Porter is a converted cornerback who was originally a wide receiver who broke out as a senior with the Cyclones and saw his draft stock soar. According to PFF, Porter gave up just five receptions on 17 targets, leading to an insane passer rating allowed of 4.7. He also notched a solid three interceptions.
At 6-foot-4 with 32 7/8-inch arms, he was quickly on the radar of Pete Carroll and John Spytek. Porter was taken in the third round because of his ability to play in zone coverage, which was a fit for Carroll’s system. Oh, and he probably reminded Carroll a bit of Richard Sherman's journey.
Now, with a new coaching staff, Porter is projected as a starter going into training camp and will be looking to build on an up-and-down rookie year.
Darien Porter must display consistency during his sophomore season with Las Vegas Raiders
Porter didn’t get the chance to start right away in 2025, as he had to sit behind Kyu Blu Kelly. When Kelly’s struggles became too much to bear for the coaching staff, which unfortunately took way too long, Porter finally got his shot in the lineup.
According to PFF, he was targeted 31 times and allowed 19 receptions during his inaugural season with Las Vegas. While those numbers alone will have Raider Nation thrilled, Porter also didn’t make many mental mistakes. Not standing out is a good thing for the most part in cornerback world.
Of course, there was the play against the Houston Texans that helped them pull out the victory over the Raiders. However, there was his great performance against the Denver Broncos' Courtland Sutton, where you could see his full potential and what he could become at the NFL level.
There wasn’t much buzz around Porter during OTAs, and he is starting to feel the heat from young rookie Hezekiah Masses. Masses was splitting first-team reps with Porter during mandatory mini-camp, which is further evidence that Porter will not be given the starting job outright.
It will be up to him to take the next step in his development and keep Masses on the bench.
With the Raiders drafting Jermod McCoy as well, it leads to a big season for the young corner out of Iowa State, especially if McCoy is healthy. If Porter doesn’t come out and perform early in the season, he could be benched for one of the younger players on the roster.
Porter’s ball skills and potential to be great are there, but it is now time for him to put it all together.
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