The Las Vegas Raiders brought in John Syptek and Pete Carroll to lead the franchise in a new direction this offseason. The new regime has almost entirely revamped the defense, as all of last season's Week 1 starters at linebacker and in the secondary are no longer on the roster.
Players like Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo, Nate Hobbs, Tre'von Moehrig and Marcus Epps all left in free agency. Additionally, they released Jack Jones weeks ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. While the moves appeared to pave the way for Jakorian Bennett to be a star, the fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV.
There are positional battles being held throughout the roster; however, it appears that none is more wide open than the ongoing starting cornerback roles. A recent report suggested that the battle is the most important one at Raiders training camp, and a veteran will win one of the two spots.
Raiders starting CBs listed as most important training camp battle
Las Vegas' decision to move on from Bennett shocked fans; however, Carroll has shown an ability to unearth defensive gems, particularly in the secondary. The Raiders' unofficial depth chart currently lists Darnay Holmes, Darien Porter and Eric Stokes as the starters. Yet, fans know nothing is certain heading into Week 2 of the preseason.
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently labeled the battle as the most important in training camp while suggesting that the veteran Stokes has an inside track to being a Week 1 starter. He noted that the franchise doesn't have a surefire starter at cornerback, however.
"In the spring, Stokes, who has 32 starts on his resume with the Green Bay Packers, and Porter, a rookie third-rounder, handled the bulk of first-team reps. Once training camp kicked off, (Decamerion) Richardson worked his way into the starting rotation on the boundary," Moton noted. "None of the contenders in this battle stood out in a positive way or lost momentum in the Raiders' first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. Though by default, Stokes is in a good spot because of his experience."
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Stokes spent his first four seasons in Green Bay, but he battled injuries during that span. He appeared in just 45 out of a possible 68 games. The former first-round pick finished the 2024 season with a 62.4 Pro Football Focus grade in pass coverage, finishing 94th out of 222 cornerbacks.
One name to watch in the ongoing cornerback battle that Moton did not mention is Kyu Blu Kelly. The fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has continued to impress as the coaching staff has raved about his performance.
While the starting cornerbacks remain a mystery, one thing that has been proven is that Carroll knows how to build a defense. The longtime Seahawks head coach has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to roster construction, particularly in the secondary.