If there is one spot on defense that the Raiders could use some more help, it’s at cornerback. The team lost Casey Hayward Jr. in free agency and he was by far their best secondary player last season.
The Raiders are hopeful that Rock Ya-Sin and Trayvon Mullen can be quality players in the final year of their rookie contracts, but neither has been very reliable so far in their careers.
So could the Raiders add another veteran cornerback before training camp? In a recent article by Matt Bowen of ESPN, he wrote about the 10 best free agents still available into June. One of those free agents is cornerback Kevin King, who was a second-round pick by the Packers in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Bowen named the Raiders as a potential landing spot given their need for more size and speed at cornerback. Here is a snippet of Bowen’s thoughts on the player and his fit with the Raiders:
“The Raiders will be much more multiple from a coverage perspective this year under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. A mix of single-high and split-safety shells would allow King to pedal and play off the ball — or roll up and challenge from press.
The Raiders did trade for corner Rock Ya-Sin this offseason, but with a new staff in place and a loaded group of opposing quarterbacks to defend in the AFC West, you can never have enough guys who can cover. King is only 27 years old.”
King would give the Raiders another outside cornerback with a ton of experience under his belt. And at this stage in free agency, he likely wouldn’t cost a ton either.
The only concern is his health as King has missed some time with injuries over the last few seasons. But assuming he is healthy and ready to go by Week 1, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense for both parties.