There weren’t a lot of positives to take away from the Week 14 loss for the Raiders. They were dominated from the opening snaps and never stood a chance against the Chiefs.
However, one of the bright spots in this game and all season long has been the play of Nate Hobbs. The rookie defensive back had another strong performance and was not the reason they lost that game.
According to Pro Football Focus, he remains one of the top rookies of the season and he is the highest-graded cornerback in the class. Here is what they had to say about his performance against the Chiefs:
“Yet another week where much of the Raiders defense gets torched while Hobbs escapes unscathed. He allowed only one catch for five yards on 39 coverage snaps against the Chiefs Sunday.”
Hobbs is one of the highest-graded defensive backs on the season this year as he just doesn’t get beat very often. But when he does, he makes tackles and limits big gains. He’s doing exactly what you would up a slot cornerback would do in their scheme.
The Raiders still have a long way to go before their defense is considered among the league’s best. But having a dynamic and reliable slot corner like Hobbs makes life a lot easier for the entire defense. He’s been one of their best players all season long.
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