Getty Raiders potential draftee CB Terrion Arnold
The Raiders had a number of pressing matters to address on the defensive side of the ball, and there can be no doubt that they did exactly that up front, landing Christian Wilkins on a $110 million mega-contract and re-signing the likes of Adam Butler and John Jenkins.
But the Raiders have mostly left the defensive backfield untouched and that’s just not sustainable heading into 2024. It’s possible the Raiders could cobble together some options among the remaining league free agents, or among future cuts as the offseason goes on. In the end, though, the Raiders are going to have to find help in the NFL draft.
For ESPN’s Jason Reid, the Raiders should make a new defensive back a top priority in next month’s draft. In an article that asked, “What’s a team-prospect fit you love in Round 1 after free agency?” Reid paired the Raiders with Alabama star cornerback Terrion Arnold, a sure first-round pick who had five interceptions and a forced fumble for the Crimson Tide last season.
Raiders Defensive Backfield Still Thin
Here’s how Reid put it: “Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold to the Raiders at No. 13. The interior defensive line was a major question mark for Las Vegas entering the offseason, but with free agent signing Christian Wilkins now anchoring the middle of that unit, finding cover corners for the defense should be a focus at the draft.
“The cornerback group lacks size and high-end talent, but Arnold checks both of those boxes and gives coach Antonio Pierce a true CB1. Arnold had five interceptions last season, and he has a versatile skill set that would allow him to play anywhere in the Raiders’ secondary.”
Nate Hobbs currently is the Raiders’ top returning cornerback, and he is solid. In-season acquisition Jack Jones played well after he’d been cut by the Patriots and signed on to play for his old college coach, Antonio Pierce, but Jones has had an erratic career and shouldn’t be relied upon to be a starter.
Last year’s fourth-round draft pick, Jakorian Bennett, struggled badly and ranked 124th out of 127 corners according to Pro Football Focus’s grading system. The Raiders are expecting a step forward from him next season.
Terrion Arnold Made Big Combine Impression
Arnold was an All-America last season for Alabama. His cover skills give him a high ceiling, and at NFL.com, he is compared to four-time Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The site has his NextGen “production score” at 90, which ranks him as “elite” on the site’s rating score. That ranked No. 1 among all cornerbacks in this year’s draft.
Arnold also left a big impression after his interviews at last month’s NFL draft combine. He spoke openly about some of his down times, and told a memorable story about his grandfather and the lessons he learned about playing cornerback.
“My grandad was a roofer,” Arnold said. “I like to correlate roofing to football. My grandad always told me on the roof…no one’s coming to save you. So when I’m on that roof, and I’m on that 8×12, 10×12 and it’s a high pitch walking up there, you slippin’ on the fiberglass, you kinda get a little rocky, get a little shaky, you know that if you lose confidence in yourself, you’re going to slip and fall.”
“It’s the same way with playing corner and being a human being. If you don’t have that type of confidence to come in and take over a room and have that presence, nobody else is going to have that confidence in you.”