Las Vegas Raiders add cornerback depth in recent free agent signing
The Las Vegas Raiders sign unrestricted free agent cornerback Duke Shelley, who last played for the Minnesota Vikings.
As the Las Vegas Raiders remain active in the offseason, the team announced on Thursday that it signed former Minnesota Viking cornerback and unrestricted free agent Duke Shelley.
Shelley played a prominent role for the Vikings last season. He appeared in 11 games, starting five. He set career highs in tackles (30), interceptions (one), and passes defended (eight).
But what was impressive about Shelley's performance last season was that his on-field effort led to tangible development as a player. He took on a starting role late in the season when Cam Dantzler was benched and Akayleb Evans suffered multiple concussions.
The downside of Shelley's game is his size. At 5-foot-9 and 176-pound, he very rarely overpowers anyone he lines up against. But he doesn't let limited physical tools stop him from quality production.
According to Pro Football Focus, his 86.4 coverage grade ranked third in the NFL and his 84.5 man-coverage grade ranked second in the NFL. He limited opposing quarterbacks to a 59.6 passer rating, which was sixth-best among cornerbacks last season.
Shelley was a sixth-round pick by the Chicago Bears during the 2019 NFL Draft. He was waived by the team before the 2022 season.
Shelley has primarily been a slot cornerback. With Nate Hobbs likely to play more on the outside, it looks like Shelley and David Long will compete for snaps inside at the slot position in 2023.
As the Raiders continue to add depth at the cornerback position, Shelley is merely the latest domino to fall.
