The cornerback position has been a major question mark all offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders. One week into training camp, it's still not settled.
With multiple players competing for starting roles and no obvious frontrunner, this should be an interesting battle to watch throughout camp.
Raiders' cornerback battle is neck and neck
After losing Nate Hobbs in free agency, the Raiders' cornerback room was barren. They made a few minor moves to replenish the position, signing Eric Stokes in free agency and drafting Darien Porter in the third round, but they were still without a clear top cornerback heading into training camp.
Stokes, Porter, second-year cornerback Decamerion Richardson, and Jakorian Bennett all have a realistic shot to solidify starting roles in the coming weeks.
After the first week of practices, there is still no clear leader.
According to Raiders insider and ESPN reporter Ryan McFadden, "Richardson split first-team reps at outside cornerback with Porter. Eric Stokes has primarily played with the starters, while Jakorian Bennett is running with the second-team defense."
McFadden also mentioned that Richardson came up with an interception in Monday's practice.
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At this point, it looks like Stokes is likely to hold down one of the starting spots on the outside. Stokes signed just a one-year deal with Las Vegas after an up-and-down stint with the Green Bay Packers. The Raiders will need Stokes to become much more consistent if he's going to be their No. 1 cornerback.
Behind Stokes, Richardson and Porter seem to be splitting time evenly in the other starting role. Richardson, a former fourth-round pick, had a rough rookie season in which he earned a coverage grade of 42.2 from PFF. It was the second-worst mark of any cornerback with at least 300 coverage snaps last season. Richardson still has plenty of potential, but he has a long way to go to become a quality starter.
The Raiders will hope that Porter is ready to step into the starting lineup in Week 1. They took him early in the third round of April's draft in what could become one of their best moves of the offseason. But Porter still has some developing to do before he's ready for NFL football.
Porter switched positions from receiver to cornerback just a few years ago. He's still adjusting to the position itself, let alone the speed of the NFL game.
Hopefully, the Raiders have two clear-cut starting cornerbacks by the end of training camp. If not, this battle could be a sign of a major weakness heading into the season.