Raiders predicted to add 73-game starter as insurance for recent draft picks
The Las Vegas Raiders were middle-of-the-league (16th) last year in passing defense, surrendering 216.2 yards per contest to their opponents.This offseason, they’ve lost some key contributors in their secondary, including Marcus Epps, Trevon Moehrig and Nate Hobbs, who all found homes with new teams. The team also released cornerback Jack Jones, who has yet to sign elsewhere.
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While they’ve brought in veterans Jeremy Chinn, Eric Stokes, Nate Hobbs and Lonnie Johnson Jr. as well as third-round pick Darien Porter out of Iowa State to address some of their issues in the backend of Patrick Graham’s defense, they could still use more help.
If new Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll are looking to add another veteran to their secondary, Pro Football and Sports Network’s Sterling Xie suggested that they sign cornerback Michael Davis.
Davis, 30, played collegiately at BYU from 2013-16, appearing in 43 games and recording 110 tackles (six for a loss), 16 passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered.
After going with undrafted in 2017, Davis signed with the Los Angeles Chargers and started his rookie season on the practice squad. Over seven seasons with the team, he played in 107 games and started 74 while recording 349 tackles (eight for a loss), 69 passes defensed, eight interceptions, two fumbles recovered, one forced fumble and a sack.
Last year, Davis inked a one-year, $3.2 million deal with the Washington Commanders. He went on to play just 12.7% of their defensive snaps (40.2% of special teams snaps) and recorded 14 tackles and one pass defensed.
Pro Football Focus gave Davis a 43.3 overall grade for his performance in 2024, ranking him 205th out of 222 qualified NFL cornerbacks last season. He also earned a 55.2 run-defense grade (160th) and a 40.8 coverage grade (203rd).
With Stokes likely holding down one of the starting cornerbacks spots in Las Vegas in 2025, the other boundary cornerback and nickelback roles should be open for competition. Signing Davis could give Porter and 2024 fourth-round pick Decamerion Richardson an established veteran to beat out.
- Competition can bring the best out of these rooms, and considering Davis’ ability on special teams, this move is something they should explore
