It’s been a rough start for the top two picks for the Las Vegas Raiders. Both Alex Leatherwood and Tre’von Moehrig have struggled a bit and now Leatherwood is dealing with a back injury. Obviously, the Raiders were hoping to get more from their top two picks.
However, the Raiders have to be tickled with their draft so far due to their fifth-round rookie corner. Nate Hobbs was a relative unknown before the draft, but the team has found a diamond in the rough from Illinois.
Not only did he make the roster, but he won the starting slot cornerback job over Nevin Lawson and Amik Robertson. And after two games, he might be their best rookie by quite a margin.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked the top-15 rookies after the first two weeks of the season. Not only did Hobbs make the list, but he’s also been the site’s top-graded rookie defensive back so far this season. Here are their thoughts on the Hobbs and his performances:
“Hobbs was one of the highest-graded players in preseason, and it’s carried over to the regular season. While he gave up catches on all seven of his targets for 44 yards, three of those receptions ended up in stops for the rookie.”
Hobbs has also been a very good tackler, which is exactly what the Raiders needed from their slot corner. He has played with so much confidence and hasn’t allowed any big plays yet in coverage.
There is still a ton of room for improvement, but the Raiders have to be thrilled with the play of Hobbs so far. It’s too early to say this for sure, but Hobbs appears to be one of the biggest steals of this year’s draft.
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