Raiders are betting big on young CBs this season. Will it pay off?
The Raiders, no matter who they decide to start opposite veteran free-agent signee Eric Stokes this year, will field one of the youngest and most inexperienced cornerback groups in the NFL.
Stokes, 26, is ancient compared to several of his teammates.
Bishop Gorman alum Kyu Blu Kelly, 24, was listed as a starter on the Raiders’ depth chart Tuesday thanks to a great training camp. But he’s played just 12 NFL games over his first two seasons in the league.
Kelly’s biggest challenger is rookie third-round pick Darien Porter, who began his college career as a wide receiver. Second-year cornerback Decamerion Richardson, a 2024 fourth-round pick, is also in the mix after playing 12 games as a rookie.
The Raiders’ only veteran holdover is slot cornerback Darnay Holmes, who has played 70 games over five NFL seasons.
How all those young players fare could determine how much the success the team has in coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek’s first season. It remains to be seen whether cornerback turns into an area of optimism for the club or a legitimate weakness.
Big changes
The Raiders’ top three cornerbacks from last season — Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs and Jakorian Bennett — are no longer on the team.
Hobbs signed with the Packers as a free agent, Jones was released and Bennett was traded to the Eagles during training camp in exchange for defensive lineman Thomas Booker IV.
It was clear Carroll and Spytek felt a makeover was needed, but they didn’t splurge on additions. They signed Stokes to a one-year, $3.5 million deal, drafted Porter, 24, and decided to give Kelly and Richardson, 24, more opportunities. The Raiders are only spending $9.56 million on their cornerback room this season, the third-lowest figure in the NFL ahead of only the Bengals and Saints.
In many ways, this is standard business for Carroll. He rarely dipped into free agency for cornerbacks during his 14-year tenure with the Seahawks and typically didn’t spend premium draft picks on the position.
Seattle drafted cornerback Devon Witherspoon No. 5 overall in 2023 heading into Carroll’s final season with the team.
Before then, the highest he had ever selected a cornerback with the Seahawks was in the third round. Carroll instead relied on turning unheralded prospects like Richard Sherman (fifth round) and Riq Woolen (fifth) into contributors, or finding low-cost gems in free agency like Brandon Browner.
It paid off when Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” secondary helped the team win Super Bowl 48 and almost win Super Bowl 49. Carroll and Spytek are trying to follow a similar blueprint in Las Vegas.
Will it work?
That said, the Raiders seem to be walking a tightrope with their cornerbacks this year.
Stokes has only appeared in 45 of a possible 68 games his first four NFL seasons. Carroll hinted during training camp the Raiders have a plan in place to keep him healthy, but if he misses more time the team will be putting a lot on their young group of corners.
Kelly, Porter and Richardson have the physical tools to contribute and play well in Carroll’s defensive system. And the coach has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to evaluating cornerbacks.
Still, until those players prove themselves on the field, the position remains the Raiders’ largest question mark.
The team will start to get answers when it opens its season at 10 a.m. Sunday against the Patriots.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.