The Las Vegas Raiders have a big question mark in their secondary heading into the 2024 campaign, as the team doesn't have a sure starter at their other outside cornerback spot opposite Jack Jones.
The hope is that 2023 fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett can take a step forward in 2024 and secure that spot for the next few years, but that's far from a certain thing after he struggled during his rookie campaign.
But Bennett's position coach, Ricky Manning Jr., is very optimistic that Bennett can in fact improve in his second season and make an impact on the defense.
"Is he ready? Heck yeah," Manning Jr. said on Tuesday. "We still got time to go, though. We still got time to prepare, and every day, we're trying to get better. Each and every guy in that room, no matter where they're at. And he's a part of that, too."
Manning Jr. went into detail about what's different with the Virginia Tech product in 2024.
"I think the most important thing for him now is he's not under fire. Being a rookie, you're thrown out there — I've been in that same situation — you're under fire, and you're still learning as you're going. Now, he has a way higher understanding of the defense, of Coach Graham, how he calls it, and of the game. So, it's a little bit slowed down for him, so now, he can really work on that development, he can really get better on the things he needs to focus on.
Bennett's top competition for the No. 2 job is veteran Brandon Facyson and rookie Decamerion Richardson. But that isn't exactly stiff competition, as Facyson is best suited as a backup and Richardson is a fourth-round pick who lacks experience.
If Bennett is indeed in a better place this year, he should win the job.
