Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has a clean slate ahead of the 2025 NFL season as it pertains to the back half of last year's defense. New Las Vegas Raiders leadership duo Pete Carroll and John Spytek parted ways with both starting linebackers and all five starting defensive backs from 2024.
Luckily, the linebacker room had enough experience to scrape by this season, and the safety position was bolstered in free agency. But the Raiders' cornerback room is still a major concern, which is a huge issue in an AFC West division that boasts three good opposing quarterbacks.
While the cornerback room is certainly filled with talented, high-ceiling players, not a single one has put it together yet at the NFL level. They need to add a veteran to the unit, badly, and the Miami Dolphins may have just put one right in front of their face.
Raiders should entertain signing slot cornerback Mike Hilton
On Monday, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that the Dolphins were releasing slot cornerback Mike Hilton. Earlier this offseason, we wrote about why Hilton would be a good fit in Las Vegas, and nothing has changed since early May.
The Raiders currently have two decent options in the slot with Greedy Vance Jr. and Darnay Holmes. However, neither has been employed with the starting defense this offseason because Carroll and Graham seemingly feel more comfortable moving a third safety into the slot than either one of them.
Perhaps Hilton, who has eight years of NFL experience and a Super Bowl appearance under his belt, would be a better solution. During the Cincinnati Bengals' 2021 playoff run, he recorded an interception and four passes defended, including two against Las Vegas in the Wild Card Round.
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All told in his career, Hilton has played in 123 games and recorded 13 interceptions, including a pick-six, 56 passes defended, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 11.5 sacks and 520 tackles, including 66 for a loss.
The entire Raiders' cornerback room has compiled just a fraction of this production in the NFL, so taking a swing on Hilton is a no-brainer. At this point in the offseason, he should not cost too much, but Las Vegas has ample cap space anyway, and what better to use it on than sewing up a big need?
Hilton would be an immediate starter for the Silver and Black, and he would raise the floor of the entire secondary. This would likely make Holmes expendable, but hopefully the team could sneak Vance onto the practice squad and develop him while Hilton fills a dire need right away.