Silver And Black Pride
Mello Dotson, Greedy Vance, John Humphrey have grueling challenge to make Las Vegas’ roster
With a group of 10 in the room, the Las Vegas Raiders’ cornerback room is tied with the defensive tackle spot with the most players vying for roster spots this offseason.
This isn’t surprising, of course.
The cornerback position went through an offseason flux that saw 2024 starters Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs no longer in Silver & Black.
Jones, a perimeter defender that started 16 of 17 games last season (69 total tackles, three interceptions, 16 passes defensed), remains on the free agent market after being released. Hobbs meanwhile, a slot corner that started seven of 11 games he played in 2024 (49 total tackles, one interception, five passes defensed), inked a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers.
Of the 10 cornerbacks currently on the roster, five are new faces in Las Vegas. One is a veteran free agent addition (Eric Stokes), one is a third-round pick (68th overall; Darien Porter) in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there’s a trio of undrafted free agents (UDFAs; Mello Dotson, Greedy Vance, and John Humphrey). This five will compete with five incumbents trying to earn roster spots and snaps under head coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Let’s focus on the trio of UDFAs. While each had productive collegiate careers and bring talent, they each face a steep uphill climb to become Raiders.
A ballhawk for the Jayhawks, Dotson turned four of his 12 interceptions into end zone visits during his four years as a starter in Kansas. He has good size at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds and boasts 31 1⁄2 inch arms.
But why did Dotson end up undrafted?
He clocked in a 4.59 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine and on tape, his lack of long speed is apparent. When plays are in front of him, Dotson is quick to pull the trigger, takes impressive angles, and is a supreme nuisance. But when plays end up past the first level, Dotson’s lack of athleticism shows up big time. He’s got ample skillset for a zone cover man but if he’s got to trail or man up on a receiver, Dotson can struggle. And now he’ll go up against NFL speed.
Perhaps, with his instincts and play making ability on the first level, he can transition into a slot defender. Although, he was a perimeter/boundary corner in college. Still, Hobbs was a pure outside corner who transitioned into a solid slot defender.
Vance, at a shade under 5-foot-10 and a light 182 pounds, profiles more as a nickel defender. He did earn snaps inside at USC in...
