After last season, the Raiders decided they were set at one cornerback spot and would look to make a change at the other. Second-round rookie Trayvon Mullen replaced former top pick Gareon Conley and is now locked in at one cornerback spot. At the other spot was Daryl Worley, who was allowed to leave in free agency, leaving it up for grabs.
Prince Amukamara vs Damon Arnette
Position: Starting outside cornerback
Others: Nevin Lawson, Keisean Nixon, Isaiah Johnson, Dylan Mabin, Ken Crawley, Madre Harper
Arnette was selected at No. 19 overall in this year’s draft. Amukamara was the 19th overall pick ten years ago.
The hope is always that the rookie can come in and start right away. But that doesn’t always happen. Rookies can take some time to acclimate to the NFL and that doesn’t always suggest anything about what kind of player they will ultimately become.
The best way to prepare a position is to sign a veteran and draft a player. The rookie is seen as the future and the veteran is the insurance. That’s what the Raiders did.
As a veteran, Amukamara’s role will be numerous. He will be penciled in as the starter, giving the team a proven veteran at cornerback. He will also be viewed as a mentor for Arnette.
When Arnette is ready, he will step into a starting role. But for now, the team has no way of knowing if or when that will be.
Some rookies are quick learners and take over the starting job quickly. Much like safety Johnathan Abram did last year. Some take a little time but step into the job as a rookie as happened with the aforementioned Trayvon Mullen. And others take much longer.
Eight years Amukamara has been a full-time starter, first with the New York Giants, then the Jacksonville Jaguars, and most recently the Chicago Bears. He got a Super Bowl ring as a rookie and the past four years, he’s been a key part of a top ten defense and has 78 career pass breakups, including 22 over the past two seasons. So, he brings an impressive resume to the table.
Arnette was a surprise pick at 19 by any measure. He does have some stats to his credit that make you understand why the Raiders were so high on him. For instance, he only gave up three touchdowns in his entire 4-year career at Ohio State.
Additionally, most of the criticism of him had to do with character, which his teammates have said improved notably last season. The Raiders seem to feel there is no concern there.
He also ran a 4.56 40 at the combine, which is extremely slow for a cornerback. Though there were some who say they hand timed him at 4.47 and 4.50, while there are reports that Arnette was hampered by an injury that caused the slower 40 time.
That’s what camp is for. You quickly find out how fast he really is and more importantly whether his speed shows up on the field where it matters most. And can his speed make up for Amukamara’s veteran savvy? We’ll see.
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