The Raiders were hoping to bolster their secondary with the addition of nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, but so far, the sixth-round pick they gave up for Johnson has only led to a holdout.
Johnson hasn’t spoken to why he has been absent from voluntary offseason workouts, but according to the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore, the 29-year-old defensive back is looking for more money.
Johnson has two years remaining on the three-year, $30.7 million contract extension he signed in 2024, but Bonsignore believes the issue is a matter of guaranteed money.
Johnson has around $18 million left on his contract over the next two years, but none of that money is apparently guaranteed.
Unfortunately for Johnson, he lost a lot of leverage in the situation when the Raiders spent a second-round pick on Treydan Stukes in April’s draft.
Stukes is able to play safety and nickel cornerback and based on the way the situation is playing out so far, there’s a chance Johnson could lose his starting job to Stukes.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen talked about Johnson and Stukes on his podcast this week, and he would like to see the Raiders give Stukes a shot at the nickel cornerback job, based in part on Johnson’s holdout.
“So far, what we’ve heard is the rookies are pretty much working with the third team and the first and second teams are mostly veterans. But one player that is getting into that first second team is [Treydan] Stukes… and part of the reason why is because Taron Johnson, the projected starter, the veteran nickel hasn’t been at camp,” Nguyen said on the Just Win podcast on Thursday.
“I think it’s probably contract related. He probably wants a little bit more guaranteed money at his age. It does make sense.
So we’ll see whether that gets resolved. But in the meantime, Stukes is getting plenty of reps at nickel. He’s getting reps at free safety… so if this keeps going and he really impresses, I’m kind of in the camp of just let him play, you know? He’s an older rookie, 25 years old. I want to see him get experienced and be the starter.”
“Then you really have a young nucleus moving forward. It kind of sucks for Taron Johnson, but if this staff thinks that [Stukes] could handle it, I’m in the camp of just let him be the starter at nickel.”
It’s still early in the offseason, but the Johnson holdout is going to be one to monitor, particularly if Stukes continues to make an impression on the coaching staff.
Stukes was one of the fastest-rising prospects leading up to the 2026 draft.
Prior to the draft, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Stukes was one of the fastest rising prospects entering the draft, adding that at least one NFL general manager had a higher grade on Stokes than Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, who went to the Dallas Cowboys at pick 11.
“Arizona cornerback Treydan Stukes seems to be climbing on some draft boards. He has been busy traveling in recent weeks, with 11 top-30 visits, including to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Kansas City on Tuesday and Seattle last Monday. Stukes had four interceptions last season and ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Teams say they think he can play both safety positions, nickel corner and outside CB,” Schefter wrote in his pre-draft column at ESPN.
“One NFL general manager called Stukes ‘one of the best safeties I’ve seen [in my time as a GM]’ and added he would draft him ahead of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. ‘This guy makes freaky plays that I haven’t seen other safeties make.” It would not be a shock to see Stukes sneak into Round 1.”
x: @raidersbeat
