John Spytek still believes in one rookie who had a tough 2026, but that doesn’t mean he won’t look to draft another at the position
The Las Vegas Raiders may still draft a cornerback or two in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite how confident they are in Darien Porter becoming something special.
This offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders re-signed cornerback Eric Stokes to a three-year deal. They traded for former Buffalo Bills’ nickel CB Taron Johnson. He will start in the slot with one year left on his deal. That leaves second-year CB Darien Porter as the second outside cornerback.
There is still a lot of uncertainty in the room, revolving around Porter and even the depth. Porter’s rookie season didn’t go as he may have expected it to. Vegas could find itself drafting a CB in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“I was happy with the way Darien finished the season last year,” Spytek told reporters. “He’s had a great offseason so far. He’s been here a lot, and we’ve seen the growth in him physically. I think you always expect guys to make a pretty big jump between years one and two. I’m proud of him for the way he competed last year and the way he’s taken and attacked the offseason.
“And to the other part of the question, I think every room we want to add competition to, and if we feel like adding another corner is in our best interest, we’ll do it. But we want everybody to earn their spot in the starting lineup.”
Porter only started playing cornerback just a few years ago. He started his college career at Iowa State as a wide receiver. So, there will be a developmental period with him. In 295 coverage snaps, Porter allowed 16 catches on 28 targets for 231 yards. Those numbers aren’t great, but he was learning as the season went on and only got better. The Raiders may believe he can be better in his second year.
Cornerbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders should look into
If the Raiders plan on drafting a cornerback or two in the 2026 NFL Draft, they should probably plan to do it in the middle rounds. They have conducted a pre-draft visit with a few Day 2 CBs, including Chris Johnson. But it doesn’t feel like Round 2, and maybe Round 3 will be where they target a CB.
Some of the guys they may look to target if they want a CB with starting potential include Avieon Terrell, Brandon Cisse, Keith Abney, Davison Igbinosun, and Daylen Everette. Any of these guys can be found in Rounds 3-5, but it all depends on how the board falls.
Either way, it seems the Raiders have a good foundation and process going. In just a few days, we will find out what they decide to do, as the position remains shrouded in mystery for now.
