Combine Day 3: Johnson talks Carroll, DL and LBs hit the field

Top cornerback talked about his meeting with the Raiders while the front seven workout

INDIANAPOLIS — There were no insider altercations on Day 3 of the NFL Combine (well, at least not yet), and I made sure to stay clear of any local Starbucks as that’s apparently a contentious coffee shop in these parts…

On that note, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore reported that there is no potential tampering issue regarding the Las Vegas Raiders’ minority owner Tom Brady meeting with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford since the Rams permitted Stafford to seek a trade.

Beyond the quarterback news and reporter scuffles, the third day of the combine is an important one for the Raiders since the team has several needs on defense. The defensive backs spoke to the media while the defensive linemen and linebackers hit the field for their workouts. So, let’s dive into how the day unfolded.

Cornerbacks

Las Vegas could use a shutdown cornerback and one of the team’s best options in the draft is Michigan’s Will Johnson. Behind Travis Hunter, Johnson is widely considered the second-best corner in the draft class after blanketing receivers in 2023 and recording two pick-sixes in six games last season.

However, some have called the former Wolverine’s long speed into question as a potential issue at the next level. When asked about that chatter, he had a great reply: “Have you ever seen someone run away from me?” The film backs up that response as you’d be hard-pressed to find many examples of him getting beaten deep.

The Raiders appear to be interested in Johnson, as he talked about meeting head coach Pete Carroll at the podium in Indianapolis as well as breaking down a few elements of his game.

Outside of the first round, another potential option for the Silver and Black’s defensive backfield is Trey Amos from Ole Miss. Amos is a long corner who can run, which fits Carroll’s profile at the position. On Thursday, he talked about becoming more physical and his preparation.

Also fitting Carroll’s profile for cornerbacks, Iowa State’s Darian Porter should be on Las Vegas’ radar and was a standout during last month’s Senior Bowl. I got a chance to ask Porter what separates him from other corners in this year’s draft class and about how he uses his long arms to his advantage.

Azareye’h Thomas from Florida State is another name to know ahead of draft weekend as another long-armed cornerback. Thomas was impressive during his media session, being well-spoken while discussing his game, preparation and working through the Seminole’s tough 2-10 season.

Safeties

Staying in the defensive backfield, it’s been well-documented that the Raiders could use some help at safety with Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps about to hit free agency. Georgia’s Malaki Starks is one of the front office’s top options for replacing Moerhig and/or Epps.

Starks is a versatile coverage defender who can fill the center field role or cover the slot, as outlined in Silver and Black Pride’s recent film breakdown. The Georgia product was asked about this skill set and how it can impact a defense while also chiming in on guarding tight end Brock Bowers.

It’s hard to miss Nicholas Emmanwori from South Carolina as he’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. Emmanwori also shows incredible athleticism on film, which should shine through during tomorrow’s workout, allowing him to play multiple roles on defense as a versatile safety. He brought up his man coverage skills when asked about what sets him apart and attributes that to his background as a cornerback.

Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts is a mid-round safety option for the Raiders and met with the club during the combine. Watts recapped his meeting below while mentioning that tight end Michael Mayer is one of his good friends, and he’s interested in the opportunity to be teammates with Mayer again in Las Vegas.

On a similar note, Malachi Moore out of Alabama also met with the Raiders and is a potential mid-round option. Moore shined some light on his conversation with the team’s brass and dove into what separates him in this year’s draft class.

Defensive line and Linebackers

The Raiders need a gap-filling defensive tackle to take over at nose for John Jenkins, and Texas’ Alfred Collins is one of the team’s best options in the draft. Collins is great at taking on double teams and has impressive size at 6-foot-6, 332 pounds and nearly 35-inch arms. At the combine, he didn’t participate in the 40-yard but looked smooth and was impressive during the un-timed position drills, especially for his size.

One nose tackle who was somewhat disappointing was Maryland’s Jordan Phillips. While he didn’t run the 40, Phillips participated in the position drills and wasn’t as quick and smooth as he appeared on film. His performance wasn’t terrible, but it would have been nice to see him show more athleticism in Indy.

Remember the name Oluwafemi Oladejo when the draft rolls around. Oladejo was originally an off-ball linebacker before switching to the edge after two games this season, and he really came on strong at the end of the year. He continued to thrive at the combine with a 77 athleticism score, according to Next Gen Stats. The UCLA product his a project but has a high ceiling as a pass-rusher.

On the other end of the spectrum, Princely Umanmeilen was fairly disappointing. He’s a speed rusher but clocked a 4.72-second 40-yard dash and had some struggles in the position drills. Umanmeilen did have some impressive jumps (10-foot-6 broad and 38-inch vertical), but his performance overall left some meat on the bone.

If Danny Stutsman wasn’t on Las Vegas’ radar before the combine, he should be now. Stutsman’s speed and athleticism were questionable heading into the workout, but he ranked fourth among linebackers with a 4.52-second 40 and posted a solid 78 athleticism score. The Oklahoma product has a chance to be a complete backer at the next level.

Jay Higgins was one of my favorite linebackers to watch this past season due to his downhill playing style and ability to stop the run. However, I have questions about how his athleticism will transfer over to the modern game, and that was confirmed on Thursday night. Higgins was the slowest linebacker with a 4.82-second 40-yard dash and had the lowest athleticism score at 52.