Breaking Down the Raiders' Offseason CB Acquisitions

The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense was not great when the ball was in the air last season.

The Raiders’ pass defense numbers are certainly an area they can improve on this upcoming season, as they allowed the fourth most total passing yards in the NFL, had the fewest team interceptions in the league with just six, and allowed the fourth most passing yards per game as well.

General Manager Dave Ziegler made a number of moves in the offseason to reflect his thoughts on the team’s cornerback position, signing three new cornerbacks and selecting one in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Today, we are going to take a closer look at the Silver and Black’s new cornerback additions and see how much of an improvement they can make heading into 2023.

The Raiders signed David Long Jr. to a one-year, $1.5 million deal after spending four years with the Los Angeles Rams. In his career, Long has posted 70 tackles, seven pass break ups and an interception. Long was called on primarily on passing downs, so he should help the Raiders secondary in the passing game.

The team also signed Brandon Facyson who enters his second stint with the Raiders. Facyson posted 55 tackles, two tackles for loss, 13 pass break ups and an interception in 2021 in Las Vegas. 

Quarterbacks completed just 59% of their passes against Facyson in 2021 as well, a career best for him. Facyson returns to the Raiders as the most seasoned veteran in the cornerback room, and can use that leadership to bring the unit together.

The third cornerback the Raiders signed during free agency is Duke Shelley, who had a solid season as a rotational player for the Minnesota Vikings. Shelley broke up eight passes last season, recording an interception and posting 31 tackles. He allowed only a 48% completion percentage when targeted, so he should also help the Raiders when the ball is in the air.

The Raiders selected Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett with the 104th pick in the draft. Bennett may be the most explosive athlete in the cornerback room already. He posted a 40.5 inch vertical jump and a 4.3 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He is also a sound tackler and should be on the field a lot as a rookie.

The Raiders made a number of improvements to their cornerback unit, and it should reflect on the field when their passing defense numbers come up from the bottom of the league. 

 The Raiders' offseason workout schedule is as follows:

OTA Offseason workouts: May 22-23, May 25, May 31-June 2, June 12-15

Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8

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