Does Darnay Holmes Solve Raiders' CB Depth?

The Las Vegas Raiders recently signed veteran cornerback Darnay Holmes.

September 21, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes (30) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders will lean on their defense this year. The Raiders' defense will be the unit that will ultimately win them games.

The Raiders have invested up front on the defensive line. This offseason, they added defensive tackle Christan Wilkins, who is now paired with one of the best defensive players in the NFL in Maxx Crosby.

The Raiders also have two of the three linebackers set. Robert Spillane and Divine Deabablo return for the Silver and Black after each having turned in career campaigns. The team will have to make a decision as to who will be the third linebacker. They have solid options with Luke Masterson and rookie Tommy Eichenberg, just to name a couple.

Where it gets interesting for this talented Raiders defense is in the secondary. They do have talented defensive backs. But for the cornerback position, the depth is less than other positions and mostly consists of youth, what with Nate Hobbs, Jakorian Bennett, Jack Jones, Decamerion Richardson and M.J. Devonshire, whom they recently signed to the practice squad.

Some believe that issue was solved with the recent addition of veteran cornerback Darnay Holmes, but it's not clear yet where he fits on the depth chart.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco have made it clear that they will bring in players if they think they could help the team win and if it is a good fit. The Raiders' staff and front office could also continue to go the veteran route and bring in another experienced cornerback.

There are a couple of veteran cornerbacks that the Raiders could bring in, and they are keeping their eyes open for any roster moves from other teams that could benefit the Raiders.

For now, the Raiders will be going with the youth at the cornerback position. Hobbs is one of the best nickels in the NFL. He just needs to stay healthy for the season.

We saw last year how special Jones could be -- now, he has to put it on for a whole season. And Bennett is very athletic and seems to be comfortable now in year two compared to his rookie season. The Raiders also have given safety Isaiah Pola-Mao snaps at practices at the cornerback position.

The Raiders have options at the cornerback position. Now we will see if they mixed the youth with a veteran, or they go for youth this season.

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