The Raiders were considering scenarios where they would take a cornerback in the first round of this year’s draft, but it sounds like one of their answers at the position might be coming from a player they selected in last year’s draft.
According to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, Jakorian Bennett has been one of the bright spots of Raiders training camp to this point.
It was a different GM and head coach, but the Raiders traded up five spots to draft Bennett in the fourth round a year ago. His rookie season had more low points than high points, but Hondo believes injuries and confidence might have played a part in Bennett’s struggles in his first season.
“He probably has had the best camp of any Raider, every single day. Today again he’s out there competing with Davante and he’s winning reps now. He’s not winning all of them. He’s going against Davante Adams, but this is the kid last year that Davante had a heyday with him. Now he’s holding his own. I’m going to tell you right now it is clear to me the three corners [are] Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, and Jakorian Bennett.”
For what it’s worth, Hondo said the Raiders were looking at Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold if they settled on a cornerback in the first round of this year’s draft. He added that Arnold was the top-rated cornerback on the Raiders’ draft board.
In the end, the Raiders couldn’t pass on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who was not expected by many to fall to the Raiders at pick 13.
Interestingly, if the Raiders had accepted a trade offer from the Los Angeles Rams, they would have been able to draft Arnold with the 19th pick and added pick no. 52 from the Rams in the process. But Bowers would have gone to the Rams in that scenario and the rest of the NFL can be glad Sean McVay didn’t have the opportunity to add a playmaker like Bowers to his already explosive offense.
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