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For the Raiders to take the next step on defense, they are going to need several of their young players to make a leap. That is especially true in the secondary as the unit just doesn’t have many known qualities in the group.
But is there a player on the roster right now who might be a secret stud for the Raiders? Based on how he performed at the end of the 2022 season, the answer is yes.
In a recent article by Braxton Howard of Pro Football Focus, he took a look at the ten most productive slot cornerbacks in the league from last season. That list included Tyler Hall of the Raiders, who came in at No. 3. Here is a snippet of what the site had to say about the young cornerback:
Hall performed phenomenally against San Francisco in Week 17, as he was targeted twice and broke up both passes. That led him to a career-high 90.4 coverage grade, which is elite.
On the season, Hall allowed under 50 yards in coverage while breaking up four passes and not giving up a single touchdown. The Raiders may have found their new slot corner as Nate Hobbs transitions to the outside.
Hall played just 122 snaps in the slot last season, so the sample size is fairly small. He’ll need to show throughout training camp that he can be consistent in order to win the starting slot job again in 2023.
However, in the little bit that we’ve seen from Hall, he’s been excellent. If Hall can continue to play anywhere near this level, the Raiders have a chance to be better than anyone expects in the secondary. And if that’s the case, maybe this defense can finally be above average for the first time in 20 years.