Silver And Black Pride
One glance at the Silver & Black’s Week 1 depth chart, you can most definitely see Pete Carroll’s influence at defensive back. And, for better or worse, we’re going to find out how the Pete Prerequisites works out for the Las Vegas Raiders cornerback room.
That position group not only highlights the head coach’s desired physical traits — at least 6 feet tall with at least 32-inch arm length — but is a reflection of the comPETE mantra Carroll has instilled in Las Vegas. While some may find his true competition as nothing more than “coach speak” or even corny, the initial pecking order released by the team proves — at least for now — it wasn’t just talk.
The trio of Raiders starting cornerbacks on the depth chart: Eric Stokes, Kyu Blu Kelly, and Darnay Holmes. While it lacks positional designations, it’s a safe bet that Stokes and Kelly — who stand 6-foot-1 and 6-feet with 32 3/4 and 32 inch arms, respectively — are the outside corners while Holmes — 5-foot-10 with 29 1/2 inch arms — is likely set to remain in the slot, something he’s accustomed heading into his sixth season in the league.
Decamerion Richardson is listed behind Stokes while rookie Darien Porter backs up Kelly. There’s no reserve charted behind Holmes. Although, Las Vegas does have undrafted free agent Greedy Vance (5-foot-9, 177 pounds, and 30 1/8 inch arms) on its 17-man practice squad.
Carroll admits the secondary is young, but he has no qualms giving youngsters gameday snaps. So much so, we’ll likely see players rotate in and out to give the Raiders matchup ability in the regular season opener at the New England Patriots this Sunday. The road trip provides an ample litmus test for Las Vegas pass defense that has plenty to prove.
Boasting veteran Stefon Diggs (heading into 11th year, 10,491 yards and 70 touchdowns in his career so far) along with rising talents in Kayshon Boutte (heading into third year, 608 yards and three touchdowns so far) and DeMario Douglas (also heading into third season, 1,182 yards and three touchdowns), New England’s top three receivers presents a good challenge for Las Vegas cornerbacks.
Diggs, age 31, is coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him play in only eight games (all starts) with the Houston Texans. He hauled in 47 passes for 496 yards and three scores as he appears to be entering the domain that current Raiders veteran wideout Amari Cooper is in: Career rebound. New England is hoping the route savvy Diggs can become a productive security blanket for second-year quarterback Drake May.
Boutte and Douglas, represent sixth-round finds for the Patriots as they were taken just 23 picks from one another — Boutte at 187th overall, Douglas at 210th in the 2023 NFL Draft. Boutte caught 43 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns last season while Douglas — who operates in the slot — snared 66 passes for 621 yards and three...
