Silver And Black Pride
Diving into a few slot cornerback options
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders’s defense has a glaring hole at nickelback. Nate Hobbs maned the slot over the last four years for the Raiders, but Hobbs signed with the Green Bay Packers during free agency and Las Vegas hasn’t added a suitable replacement yet this offseason.
That likely means the position will be a priority for John Spytek and Co. during the draft next week. So, which defensive backs in this year’s draft class can line up at nickel?
All draft projections listed below are via NFL Mock Draft Database and as of April 15.
Draft projection: 1st round, 12th overall
Johnson could also fill the Raiders’ hole at outside cornerback, where he primarily played in college. He’s more of a projection on the inside but has shown several traits to line up at nickel, most notably a willingness to get involved in run fits. Granted, the former Wolverine needs to be more consistent with his tackling form, but he has a versatile skill set to contribute at both cornerback spots if needed.
Draft projection: 1st round, 15th overall
Similar to his Michigan counterpart, Barron also has the potential to line up on the boundary or over the slot. The difference between the two prospects is the latter has extensive experience at nickelback, taking 900 snaps there during his college career, via Pro Football Focus. If the Silver and Black are looking for a cleaner projection at the position, the former Longhorn is the front office’s best option.
Draft projection: 3rd round, 93rd overall
While he primarily played on the outside at Kansas State, Parrish’s size will likely force him to slide inside in the NFL. He isn’t exactly physically imposing at slightly under 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds. However, the former Wildcat has impressive coverage skills and is a physical run defender to successfully switch positions. Also, he’s a good tackler with only five misses at an 8.3 percent rate in 2024, per PFF.
Draft projection: 1st round, 21st overall
This would be a thinking outside of the box strategy to solve Las Vegas’ nickelback issue since Starks is naturally a safety. However, he recorded over 664 snaps over the slot at Georgia (via PFF) and a lot of his notable plays in coverage last season came when he was covering inside receivers. Also, the former Bulldog is a willing run defender who earned PFF grades in the mid-80s in that department over the last two years respectively.
Draft projection: 5th Round, 140th overall
Bryant’s ball production with 13 interceptions and 22 passes defended during his college career will certainly grab teams’ attention. Granted, he’s another projection on the inside, but NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein noted the former Jayhawk has traits to make the position switch a successful transition.
“First and foremost, Bryant wants the...
