The Raiders made it a priority to upgrade their secondary this offseason. The team added veterans Damarious Randall and Jeff Heath in free agency and drafted cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson. It’s also important to note that the team tried to sign cornerback Eli Apple before the deal ultimately fell through.
However, the Raiders were still able to add a veteran cornerback in free agency as they signed Prince Amukamara, formerly of the Chicago Bears. Amukamara has been an incredibly consistent player throughout his career, starting 99 games in his NFL career.
In a recent piece by Pro Football Focus, Amukamara was named one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Take a look why PFF is excited about his potential fit with the Raiders in the 2020 NFL season:
Amukamara has been underappreciated for much of his career, a fact exemplified by the Chicago Bears making him a cap casualty this offseason despite his overall grade of 81.0 for the team just two seasons ago. He’s been a consistent starting option throughout his career, never dipping below a 66.3 overall grade during his eight years in the NFL. That stability and veteran presence is something the Raiders should be able to make real use of in 2020, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Amukamara holds down one of the starting jobs outside for much of the year despite recent investments in players like Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette.
Amukamara is certainly the favorite to open the season as the No. 2 opposite of Trayvon Mullen. While he lacks ideal size and length, he is a cornerback that just doesn’t allow a ton of separation in coverage.
However, don’t be surprised if Arnette eventually takes the No. 2 role as the Raiders will want to see what they have in the No. 19 pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. But having a solid, proven cornerback like Amukamara to mentor the young cornerbacks is incredibly valuable. Look for the former first-round pick to have a big role on the Raiders’ defense this season.
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