The Las Vegas Raiders took a few gambles this offseason under new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. Carroll's reputation as a developer of defensive backs prevented Spytek from spending too much money in free agency.
Former starters Nate Hobbs, Tre'Von Moehrig and Marcus Epps left the team without a contract offer, and Jack Jones was waived just ahead of the draft as well. This left many with a bad feeling about the secondary, considering four of the team's five opening day starters from last year were now gone.
While Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao are a strong safety duo, questions have remained about the cornerback room. Nobody would argue that this group is talentless, but by and large, they lack the NFL experience to give Raider Nation confidence ahead of the 2025 season.
Maxx Crosby's pick-six at Raiders practice turned heads
Fortunately, the Raiders' defensive front looks to be so strong this year that the secondary may not have to cover for long. Oh, and star defensive end Maxx Crosby is already living up to his three-year, $106.5 million extension that he signed earlier this offseason.
At Wednesday's mandatory minicamp practice, the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Adam Hill reported that Crosby jumped a Geno Smith pass into the flat and picked it off, running it back for a touchdown.
Obviously, this does not solve the Raiders' cornerback issues, but it certainly does not hurt. If the team's defensive line can finally live up to their expectations from last season, that will take the pressure off the back half of the Las Vegas defense.
Rookie defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, who was drafted with the No. 135 overall pick in the fourth round, also got in on the fun on Thursday. The Athletic's Tashan Reed reported that the young player made the play of the day at the final mandatory minicamp practice.
"The play of the day came during 11-on-11 drills when (Geno) Smith had a pass deflected at the line of scrimmage and picked off by defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, who was working with the second-team defense," Reed wrote.
Not only is Crosby already making plays for the Raiders' defense, but he is modeling how things should be done for the team's younger players. Isolated plays like this do not make up for the team's supposed cornerback issues, but they paint a broader picture that this Las Vegas defense is full of playmakers and there is little to be worried about under the tutilege of Pete Carroll.
