The Las Vegas Raiders are attempting to usher in a new era after a 4-13 season, and missing the playoffs for three straight years â as well as in seven of the last eight. Obviously, the iconic franchise now located in its third city needs to turn the page in any number of aspects of the game. But one significant shortcoming in 2024 was the Raiders’ pass defense.
The Raiders allowed opponents to score 29 aerial touchdowns. Only four teams allowed more. Their 3,676 passing yards-allowed ranked them 15th of the 32 NFL teams. Nothing to write home about. They also gave up 194 passing first downs, tied for 20th in the league, while hauling in a mere 10 interceptions, fewer than all but nine NFL defenses.
They had only one cornerback who started more than seven games, New England Patriots 2022 fourth-round pick Jack Jones who started 16 and appeared in all 17 Raiders games. Jones pulled in three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. But it was clear that the Raiders need to upgrade the position significantly.
Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek took a step in that direction when they drafted Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter in the third round on Friday at No. 68.
A converted wide receiver, Porter was described by Raiders.com managing editor Rachel Gossen as “a true ‘Pete Carroll cornerback’” due to his “speed, length and physicality â traits that the head coach notably covets in his secondary. Porter, at six-foot-three, 195 pounds, ran a 4.3 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February, which was the third-fastest of any player at the annual event. He also turned in a 36.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump.”
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierling also gave a favorable assessment of Porter, saying that the Iowa native “has excellent zone awareness with the twitch and ball skills to expand his sphere of influence. He uses his length to shade downfield throws but needs to get stronger to improve his press, his contest and his tackling in run support.”
But the Raiders still need more, and another NFL.com expert, Nick Shook, wrote on Thursday Las Vegas could find it in a major trade for a three-time, first team All-Pro whose team, the Miami Dolphins, has openly expressed that he is on the trade block.
The reason the Dolphins want to move nine-year veteran â and fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft, taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars â Jalen Ramsey has nothing to do with his talent, and everything to do with his paycheck.
Pro Football Focus gave Ramsey a grade of 76.9, ranking him 10th among all NFL corners in 2024.
At the outset of the 2024 season, the Dolphins signed Ramsey to a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension. The new deal made Ramsey, at age 30, the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. Now the Dolphins are looking to get out from under that hefty commitment.
The Raiders not only need an elite pass defender, they are one of the few teams in a financial position to take on Ramsey’s contract. With about $42.4 million in salary cap space, the Raiders are second only to the Patriots in cap flexibility. Ramsey’s $16.7 million cap number for 2025 fits comfortably into the Raiders financial portfolio.
“I’d be remiss to not point out the Raiders defense looks a little worse than it did a year ago. It would be ideal, then, to reverse that momentum on the defensive side by swinging a deal for a household name like Ramsey, who would look excellent in Silver and Black and instantly provide the Raiders with a respected cornerback in a secondary that could use some intimidation,” Shook wrote. “With the second-most cap space available in the NFL right now (at $42.3 million, per Over The Cap), the Raiders have the financial power to get it done.”
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