Over the last few weeks, no player’s stock has risen more than Nate Hobbs. Despite being a fifth-round pick, it appears Hobbs will be an important part of the defense for the Raiders this season.
Hobbs has the ideal size and quickness to play in the slot and his main competition is Amik Robertson, another Day 3 pick from the 2020 NFL draft. And so far, it appears that he’s caught the attention of several coaches, players and beat reporters at practice.
In a recent article by Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report, he named the ten players that already proving to be draft-day steals. As you can guess, Hobbs appeared on the list. Here is a snippet of Davenport’s thoughts on the fifth-round cornerback:
“Granted, there’s a big difference between covering guys in non-contact drills and hanging with the likes of Keenan Allen and Tyreek Hill in the AFC West in games that count. But the 6’0”, 195-pound Illinois product has been steadily impressive in workouts, drawing praise from veteran teammate Trayvon Mullen.
The Raiders need all the help they can get in the secondary after finishing in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed in 2020. If Hobbs can carry this momentum over into training camp, the underdog could find himself playing significant snaps.”
While it’s difficult to call a player a steal before they even put on the pads for their first training camp practice, it does appear the Raiders made a smart choice here. Hobbs looks like he belongs and should be an interesting player to watch during camp and in the preseason. But so far, so good for the fifth-round rookie.
