Raiders DB Continues to Emerge as Draft Gem

Las Vegas Raiders second-year cornerback Jakorian Bennett has shown tremendous progress since last season. He continues to grow into what the Raiders envisioned when they drafted him.

Nov 3, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) attempts to catch a pass against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0) in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

After finishing his collegiate career as a two-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention nominee, the Las Vegas Raiders selected cornerback Jakorian Bennett in the fourth round of last year’s NFL Draft. 

As talented as Bennett is, he struggled during his rookie season. This is usually true for most rookies, but Bennett was not just any rookie.

Bennett entered last season as a starter, even though he was a rookie. He would eventually have to take more of a back seat to more experienced corners.

However, his production this season makes last season's troubles worth it in the long run. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce explained where he has seen the most growth out of Bennett.

"It's weird, it's not really stats, it's mentally,” Pierce said. “I think the ability to get over good or bad plays, to move on, have that short-term memory as a defensive back, because there's going to be moments where they catch the ball, there will be moments that he's really been really good for us on third down especially. 

“But I think just as a younger player, going through the ups and downs he did in his rookie season, then obviously in year two having a really solid, solid year in coverage. I know there's things that we want to work on, and he wants to work on to get better, but for year two, there's been a tremendous stride of improvements." 

Bennett has undeniably taken strides since last season, and he has continued to play well halfway through this season. Not only is he playing better, but he has played better over a longer period of time than he did last season. 

Improvement is the name of the game, especially for a player a team had they type of expectations that surrounded Bennett last season. He has taken more than a few strides since last season.

The Raiders will begin to look towards the future and decide what pieces to keep and which players to move on from. However, there is also a difference between players worth keeping and those worth building around.

Bennett is a player a team can build around. It would not be surprising to see Bennett gradually grow into a solid corner and a lockdown corner.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.