Jakorian Bennett Has Opportunity with Raiders in Year 2

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett is heading into his second season in the league with a golden opportunity in front of him.

Las Vegas Raiders CB Jakorian Bennett / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

2023 was not the rookie season Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett wanted to have. 

After a stretch of rough play and a season marred by injuries, Bennett heads into his second season healthy and ready to prove he should be the team’s No. 2 cornerback across from Jack Jones. 

Bennett finished his rookie season with 32 total tackles and three passes defended. He was a fourth-round selection out of Maryland in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Bennett has an impressive athletic profile for a cornerback, boasting excellent speed and explosiveness for the position. Wide receivers just seem to keep getting faster, so having speedy corners helps limit them on the outside. 

The Raiders are looking for answers in their secondary, including who will step up as the opposing corner on the boundary. So far, Bennett appears to be an early answer. 

The CB2 position is wide open, and Bennett is competing for the starting spot with other candidates, like rookie Decamerion Richardson and Brandon Facyson. The job is up for grabs, and Bennett has the opportunity in front of him to take it. 

These next couple of weeks will be important for Bennett. He has to stand out among Richardson and Facyson and show the staff he can bounce back from his rough rookie campaign. 

Bennett will line up against the likes of Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Tre Tucker throughout camp. This is a great group of receivers to sharpen his skill set with practice reps before he plays against the league’s best. 

Once preseason begins, Bennett will be given every opportunity to show he can be the team’s other starting corner. He will get in-game reps for the first time since the Raiders home victory against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he played 32 snaps. He saw only special teams snaps in the following three games to close out the season. 

2024 is a chance for Bennett to wipe the slate clean and put his rocky rookie season in the past. While he has some competition for the starting job, the opportunity is in front of him to show he can be the guy. 

It’s up to him whether or not he seizes it.

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