The Raiders have made a ton of free-agent additions over the offseason, bringing in a good mix of quality players and depth. Their biggest free-agent signing was Chandler Jones, who now gives them an elite bookend to Maxx Crosby.
However, one spot that could use some more help in free agency is at cornerback. The Raiders lost Casey Hayward (Falcons) this offseason but did manage to replace him with Rock Ya-Sin. However, they are still in need of a No. 1 cornerback.
That is why Stephon Gilmore would make so much sense since he is still available. In a recent article by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, he named the Raiders as the top landing spot for Gilmore in free agency. Here is what he had to say about the former Defensive Player of the Year:
“Teams should be excited at the prospect of Gilmore stepping in and making an impact from Day 1, because he did just that following a trade to the Carolina Panthers last season.
From Week 8 through the end of the season, Gilmore’s 79.5 coverage grade from press coverage looks ranked sixth among cornerbacks. A long list of teams should be in the market for his services, even as he’s set to turn 32 years old in 2022.”
The Raiders will likely wait until after the 2022 NFL Draft to make a signing like this as they want to see who is available to them at No. 86. However, Gilmore would be a fantastic fit as he can still lockdown top wide receivers.
Las Vegas has shown a lot of interest in Gilmore during this free agency period, so it will be fascinating to see if they can reel him in over the next month or so.