The Las Vegas Raiders are set to have a very good defense in 2024 after the unit had a strong showing in 2023 and added a huge upgrade with the signing of defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.
But the Raiders still have a big question mark in the secondary, where the team has to figure out who will start opposite Jack Jones on the boundary. Vying for that role are Jakorian Bennett, Brandon Facyson and Decamerion Richardson, all of whom bring concerns.
General manager Tom Telesco still has plenty of cap space to work with and Pro Football Network's Lorenzo Reyna believes he should use some of it on veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Here's what Reyna wrote:
Even though Jack Jones provided a spark at corner once Antonio Pierce was promoted to head coach, he is still raw with only five career starts.
Gilmore brings much-needed experience to a unit lacking consistent starts. While he and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham didn’t cross paths in Foxborough, Mass., perhaps their New England Patriots connection could sway a pairing here in Sin City.
Even at the age of 33, Gilmore showed he still has something left in the tank after a season in which he gave up a completion rate of 55.8% and a passer rating of 82.7.
Gilmore should be a better option than anyone the Raiders have currently for the No. 2 role, and he could even serve as the No. 1, depending on how things go with Jones in his second season in the Silver and Black.
The former All-Pro should come relatively cheap and on a one-year deal, making him an ideal stopgap option for Las Vegas.
