Who were some of the top performers in minicamp?

All eyes are on Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs to lead the way. Last season, Jones returned two interceptions for touchdowns in divisional victories against the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, while Hobbs set career highs in pass deflections (seven), tackles for loss (six) and solo tackles (59).

While Hobbs is expected to remain a big piece of the secondary, it seems he’ll settle back into the nickel cornerback role he played the majority of his rookie year. Therefore, the Raiders are looking at several all options for the outside cornerback position opposite of Jones.

Cornerbacks that stood out in OTAs and minicamp were Brandon Facyson and Jakorian Bennett. Facyson is hitting the ground running this offseason following an injury that forced him to miss 14 games last season. The 6-foot-2 cornerback led the team in pass deflections (13) in 2021.

“I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Hobbs said about Facyson. “I feel like people forget my rookie year, 2021, how he started the last half of the season, and went man for man with every receiver who was a top-ranked receiver and shut them down, essentially. Once he gets in his bag, he’s hard to stop. He makes it very hard on the opposing team. He’s just a physical specimen, is what I call him. Great dude, too – great energy, great positivity.”

Bennett, a 2023 fourth-round pick, is looking to settle in after some growing pains throughout his rookie campaign. He’s made the most of his offseason reps, including nabbing two interceptions in minicamp. His speed and instinctual ability to make plays have been noticeable.