Damon Arnette, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders took Arnette with the 19th overall pick, and went back in the fourth round at the cornerback position to take Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson. Based on tape, it could be argued that Robertson was the better player in 2019, though Arnette’s 2019 showings were pretty respectable, and he’ll improve what was one of the league’s weakest cornerback groups — as long as he’s used correctly. Both Arnette and Robertson are at their best when they’re allowed to press receivers at the line of scrimmage, though Robertson is more fluid in off and slot coverage, and Arnette is a highly aggressive cornerback at all times.
Here, against Indiana, he makes a great play in the left defensive slot because he’s able to trail his receiver from the start. This is where he thrives.
What the Raiders are hoping is that Arnette will build on the breakout season he had in 2019. In his previous two seasons, he gave up more than 800 total yards, per PFF, and allowed completions on more than 60% of his targeted passes. But last season, he shaved that down to a completion rate of 44.6%, and he gave up just 306 yards, and 25 completions on 58 targets for an opponent passer rating of 60.6.
One of the reasons for that improvement is that Arnette was asked to play less man coverage — 65% in 2018, and 51% in 2019. The schematic adjustment allowed Arnette to be as aggressive as he likes, without his relative lack of downfield trail speed and ability to flip his hips to adjust to more angularly adept receivers becoming obvious liabilities. As long as the Raiders are going to be a zone-based team in 2020 (last season, per Sports Info Solutions, the Raiders played zone on 54% of their snaps, which ranked 21st in the NFL), Arnette has the attributes to make an immediate contribution. But he’s not a scheme-transcendent player right off the bat, and the adjustment period could take a while.
Justin Herbert | Damon Arnette | K’Lavon Chaisson | Jordan Love | Grant Delpit