The Las Vegas Raiders have had plenty of issues to begin the 2025 NFL season. While the offense has been a much bigger problem, the defense has undergone its share of bumps and bruises despite a handful of strong showings.
The secondary, in particular, has been a major letdown, as multiple players have already proven that they don't deserve their starting role. One of those players is Kyu Blu Kelly, who has been one of the worst cornerbacks in the league through seven games.
While third-round rookie Darien Porter has looked much better in his limited playing time, Las Vegas has refused to give him the starting gig over Kelly. A Raiders reporter recently shared why fans can expect that to continue coming out of the Week 8 bye.
Raiders reporter suggests Darien Porter may not take over for Kyu Blu Kelly
Kelly has certainly underperformed this season, and the Raiders are seemingly going nowhere in 2025. This has led many fans to believe that Porter should receive the starting nod as part of a general youth movement in Las Vegas.
Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards appeared on the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, where he shared why Porter supplanting Kelly may not be in the cards just yet.
"I really do think that the coaching staff is still pretty -- I don't want to say sold on Kyu Blu, but I still think that there's some meat on the bone with Kyu. I think, if anything, Kyu's had some games where he's looked really good and then he's had some games where he's allowed a lot of passing yards, and I think they want to see a little bit more consistency from him because they know what he's capable of," Edwards said. "I think a lot of people see Darien and they're like, okay, big, long, fast corner, he's got to be amazing and why isn't he starting? ... People don't realize Darien Porter is now in his fourth year of his life playing cornerback. He did not play cornerback in Pop Warner. He did not play cornerback in high school. He did not play cornerback until his academic junior season at Iowa. So, his redshirt sophomore year. That is when he started playing cornerback."
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Porter is certainly new to the position after being recruited by Iowa State as a wide receiver. While that is commonly used against him, it should actually be even more reason to allow the rookie to get in-game reps at cornerback, as he will likely have growing pains that he needs to learn from.
The Raiders should be prioritizing the growth and development of their young players, and getting them on the field could be a big catalyst for their future success. Additionally, Kelly has not provided much for the defense, and it would be hard for Porter to do a worse job.
If Edwards is correct that the team won't make a change coming out of the bye week, it will only increase the disappointment of the fan base. Many are hoping to see the rookie class receive an increase in playing time, but perhaps Raider Nation will have to wait even longer.