The Las Vegas Raiders made countless changes to their defense this offseason, and the secondary, in particular, is an almost unrecognizable unit. Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson and Isaiah Pola-Mao are the lone returners who played any significant role in 2024.
Pete Carroll is confident in his ability to develop young players with high-end traits, so that is exactly who new general manager John Spytek brought into the building. Free agents like Eric Stokes and Lonnie Johnson Jr., as well as third-round rookie Darien Porter, all fit into this category.
Porter has been working with the starting defense in Las Vegas throughout the offseason program and into the preseason. While he initially impressed both the coaching staff and Raider Nation at OTAs and minicamp, it seems like he has taken a step back during training camp.
Raiders rookie Darien Porter having rough showing at training camp
Las Vegas had its last non-padded practice on Sunday, and Porter was on the wrong end of two highlight plays. Jesse Merrick reported that he and Dont'e Thornton Jr. have been enjoying some back-and-forth, but Thornton seemingly got the better of the matchup with a nice comeback route.
Later in the practice on Sunday, The Athletic's Tashan Reed reported that Porter gave up a touchdown grab to Brock Bowers during redzone drills. While each rep does not necessarily mean a ton, his body of work indicates that he may need a bit more time to adjust to the NFL.
During Monday's fully-padded practice, Porter was the victim of a deep route by Thornton that resulted in a touchdown for the Raiders' offense. Reed reported that Thornton "raced past" Porter, and the team's social media pages even posted the highlight.
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Raider Nation was shocked that Porter was impressing so early in the process, as the team drafted him with the understanding that he was a project. His faltering in training camp is likely a sign that the former wide receiver needs some more exposure at cornerback before being thrust into NFL action.
With players like Richardson playing well and positive things being said about Stokes and Bennett, it should not be a surprise to see the Raiders' rookie get leapfrogged on the depth chart. There is no reason to throw the young player to the wolves if he is not ready.
Playing cornerback is a thankless job at times, as there is merit to the fact that the position is only highlighted when they get an interception or give up a touchdown. However, it seems like the latter has been more the case for Porter, and the ultra-talented, high-ceiling rookie has a bit of work to do.