Raiders CB Jakorian Bennett's Rise Continues

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett had a strong start to his rookie season but faltered as the season went on. After a strong start in year two, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0) walks off of the field following the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders drafted cornerback Jakorian Bennett in the fourth round of last year’s NFL Draft with the expectation that he would be a significant contributor to the defense.

While in college, Bennett showed tremendous potential as one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten. He began his rookie season in the National Football League as a starter. However, he would lose his starting position later in the season after injuries and poor play got the best of him during his rookie season.

Bennett took the lessons from a rocky rookie season in the league and significantly improved over the offseason. According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett has only allowed a 42.9 percent completion rate. That is tied for the fifth-best in the league amongst cornerbacks who have been targeted at least ten times. Teams have begun to think twice before throwing Bennett’s way. Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham elaborated on Bennett’s progress.

"I think any corner wants action,” Graham said. “The thing I've seen from JB [Jakorian Bennett] is his development. It started with practice in terms of, he's spending every moment out there on that field to train to improve as a football player.”

Graham credited the Raiders’ position coaches with Bennett’s success over the season's first few weeks. He also noted the fact that Bennett has been successful because of his practice habits. Graham says Bennett makes the most of his time on the practice field, gaining as much knowledge as possible. 

“There's no wasted time out there for that young man,” Graham said. “Between special teams periods, he's over there with GA [Gerald Alexander] and Ricky [Manning], he's working on his technique at the line of scrimmage. Then it might go between the offense going and us going with the show team. He's working on that. 

“So there's no wasted time on the field. Every rep counts for him, good or bad. Every rep counts for him, and he's out there training to get ready for Sunday as opposed to just out there practicing. That’s Pop Warner stuff if he was just out there practicing.”

Bennett undoubtedly has the talent. He earned a starting position as a rookie in the NFL, which did not happen accidentally. Entering this season, Bennett did not need to prove he could play in the league—he had already done that. 

However, he needed to prove he could consistently play at a high level. He has played better than last season and has done so for a longer period, and the Raiders desperately need him to continue doing so.

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