One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround on defense for the Raiders is their secondary. Yes, the play of Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue has improved the defense a ton, but the play of cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Nate Hobbs have transformed the unit.
Hayward has always been a top-notch cornerback, so his play this season has not been surprising at all. However, Hobbs has been an absolute star as a rookie. He won the job in training camp and has only gotten better every single week.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they named their All-Pro team midway through the 2021 season. Hobbs was one of only two rookies (Creed Humphrey) to make the list as the fifth-round pick is the site’s highest-graded slot cornerback.
“While Casey Hayward Jr. has been a huge success for the Raiders, their defensive transformation has also been helped by hitting on fifth-round rookie Nate Hobbs, especially after whiffing at the same position in the first round a season ago.
Hobbs has allowed just 153 yards in 2021 at 7.0 yards per reception. He has yet to surrender a touchdown, with the longest completion into his coverage going for 34 yards. He’s recorded just one PFF single-game grade below 68.0, and that was in his Week 1 NFL debut.”
The Raiders have one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL with Hayward and Hobbs. But the hope is that when Trayvon Mullen returns from his injury, they can have one of the best secondaries in the league.
Hobbs has been fantastic this season for the Raiders and his stock is only going up. The Raiders have clearly found a diamond in the rough in this year’s draft.
