The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the busiest teams this offseason when it comes to upgrading the roster, especially on defense. They were big spenders addressing the secondary, linebacker room and defensive line.
The secondary is particularly interesting heading into the season. The group is very young with rookies Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses getting drafted. Eric Stokes and Taron Johnson are the only real veterans in the group.
While the Raiders have to be excited with the youth in their secondary, they may want a bit more experience. Former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs is still a free agent, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes that the Raiders are a fit for him.
“Even when Diggs was an exciting playmaker, though, his level of consistency left something to be desired. During his All-Pro campaign, for example, he surrendered 907 yards in coverage. He was a Pro Bowler again the following season but also allowed a completion rate of 65.5 percent,” Knox wrote. “And since suffering a torn ACL in 2023, Diggs has been a tier below where he previously was.
“However, Diggs is still just 27 years old and could quickly resurrect his career if 100 percent healthy. Given the way the past few seasons have gone for him, though, he might make the most sense for a rebuilding team willing to take a risk on a risk-reward player in its secondary.”
Can Diggs Help the Raiders?
Diggs has been a polarizing player over his career. In 2021, he had 11 interceptions and was named First-Team All-Pro, but many analysts noted that he wasn’t particularly sticky in coverage.
He was never able to be quite as good as that 2021 season, and though he has always been a good playmaker, he hasn’t been consistent enough in coverage. For the Raiders, they could use a ball hawk.
The defense only had eight interceptions last season, which was near the bottom of the NFL. Stukes, Masses and McCoy all had years with multiple interceptions in college, so they could help with turnovers, but Diggs is a proven turnover machine. For a rebuilding team like the Raiders, they can afford to take on a player who is a bit more of a risk. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance, and he would likely come cheap.
Have Raiders Improved Enough at CB?
The Raiders are feeling good about their cornerback room, but there are a lot of unknowns with the group being so young. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden evaluated every position group on the team, and he beleives the cornerback room is at about the same level it was last season.
“Like the safety spot, the verdict on the cornerback room is up for debate,” McFadden wrote. “Yes, the Raiders made good moves by re-signing Eric Stokes and acquiring Johnson. But whether the unit will play better than last season will come down to Darien Porter making major strides in Year 2 and McCoy’s health. … There’s a lot to like about the Raiders’ young core of defensive backs. At the same time, there are a few what-ifs about the group.”
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