The Las Vegas Raiders have a question mark at one of their starting cornerback spots ahead of the 2024 NFL season, but the slot is not it. That's because of the ascension of Nate Hobbs, who had his best season as a pro in 2023.
In his third season, the former fifth-round pick posted a career-best 69.9% completion rate allowed, and his second-best passer rating allowed of 97.2. Now, he'll look to build on that in what is a contract year.
On Tuesday before the latest open practice of organized team activities, cornerbacks coach Ricky Manning Jr. revealed that he believes Hobbs is "the key to unlock our defense."
He explained why:
“Nate is the key to unlock our defense,” he said. “That nickel spot is very special. That star spot is very special. Being able to play inside and outside is a unique characteristic to have. Just like Michael Carter with the Jets last year, a pivotal piece of that defense, that’s what Nate Hobbs is. That’s what the star position has become. He’s the key to unlock our defense and he’s great at it. He’s going to continue to ascend and with his growth our defense grows. And it allows PG [Patrick Graham] our coordinator to call certain things because he can trust that Nate can get it done and get it communicated to everybody and we can work well together.”
With Hobbs locking down the slot and Jack Jones owning one of the starting spots on the outside, the Raiders must figure out who will line up opposite Jones. If they get it right, the Raiders have the potential to have a very good secondary in 2024.
