Throughout their 2024 campaign, the Las Vegas Raiders allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for 216.2 yards per game, which was good for 16th in the NFL last year.
This offseason, the Raiders' cornerback room hasn't exactly gotten better. In fact, after releasing Jack Jones, watching Nate Hobbs land with the Green Bay Packers, signing Eric Stokes and selecting Darien porter in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, it could be argued that the group is worse.
With a couple weeks to go before training camp, Las Vegas still has plenty of cap space ($31.26 million, per Over the Cap) to add another legitimate piece to their secondary.
Interestingly, Bleacher Report's Matt Holder recently identified the top landing spots for some of the top remaining free agents, and he listed the Raiders as one of the best fits for cornerback Mike Hilton.
"Nate Hobbs manned the inside for the Raiders over the better part of the last four seasons. But Hobbs signed with the Green Bay Packers in free agency, and Las Vegas didn’t replace him," Holder wrote. "Also, having a strong veteran voice could be just what the young position group needs to develop moving forward."
Hilton, 31, played collegiately at Ole Miss from 2012-15, earning All-SEC honors in his final year before landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
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After short offseason stints with the Jaguars and the Patriots, Hilton spent his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and eventually played his way into a starting role. Over four years with Pittsburgh, he appeared in 59 games (started 20) and recorded 237 tackles (30 for a loss), 32 passes defensed, 23 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks, seven interceptions, five fumbles recovered and three forced fumbles.
Hilton inked a four-year, $24 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 and spent the last four years as a starter. In 64 games (36 starts), he recorded 283 tackles (36 for a loss), 24 passes defensed, nine quarterback hits, six interceptions, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Last year, Hilton played in 16 of 17 possible games, receiving a 75.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (23rd out of 222 qualified cornerbacks). He also was listed as the top cornerback in the league against the run (91.7 grade).
If Las Vegas were to use some of that cap space on Hilton before training camp starts, they could slide him in as their starting nickel cornerback and allow Porter, Stokes, Darnay Holmes, Jakorian Bennett and Kyu Blu Kelly battle it out for the other starting jobs.
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