It’s time for some positive news in regards to the Las Vegas Raiders. It appears they have found a diamond in the rough in Nate Hobbs. After a strong preseason, he earned a starting spot on the defense.
Hobbs has continued that strong play into the regular season. He was really good again in Week 5, recording a pass deflection while playing 64 percent of the defensive snaps. He allowed just 29 yards on four targets against the Bears, according to PFF.
Speaking of Pro Football Focus, they recently ranked the top-15 rookies in the NFL after the first five weeks of the season. Not surprisingly, Hobbs showed up on the list at No. 10. Here is what they had to say about the fifth-round pick from Illinois:
“The Raiders slot cornerback has rarely been caught out of place so far. While he’s allowed 16 catches on 19 targets, that’s often par for the course in the slot against screens and dump-offs. It’s the fact that those 19 targets have resulted in only 113 yards and seven first downs that’s impressive.”
When the Raiders are healthy, the secondary has been excellent this season. The additions of Casey Hayward Jr. and Hobbs have been fantastic, giving them two playmakers on the backend.
After just five games, Hobbs is already looking like one of the biggest steals from the entire 2021 NFL draft.