The belief that you can never have too many good cornerbacks is being challenged by the Las Vegas Raiders. Their current roster dilemma shows that having “too many” isn’t always beneficial.

Sometimes, in the media, when we are covering a team, we don’t realize what will become an issue until we break it all the way down to its bare bones. In this case, I was prepping for my 53-man roster predictions and noticed the Raiders were going to have a roster issue—too many good cornerbacks and not enough roster spots when they have to cut from 90 to 53. Now, of course, this is if, and a big if, fourth-round pick Jermod McCoy plays in 2026.

Every team wants a tough roster decision, such as having too many talented players at one position, because it means they are doing something right. It’s never easy, but telling a talented cornerback he won’t make the 53-man roster because they’re keeping only six is a win. Most teams aim for this situation, and the Raiders are reaching it.

My way too early and probably wrong 53-man projection is out for the #Raiders.

It’s safe to say this roster is much better than the one they had this time last year. But, I see a big question where some good players could be left out.

MORE: https://t.co/1YpCWQCf6F pic.twitter.com/oQwSme3vip

— Justin Churchill (@ChurchillAtoZ) April 27, 2026

Raiders have a CB issue on the roster, but it’s a good issue to have

This is the position group I may have the toughest time predicting who will make the 53. I don’t have a tough time predicting the starters, as I confidently think it’s Eric Stokes and Darien Porter on the outside, then Taron Johnson at nickel. They paid Stokes to be the CB1. They picked Porter in the third round last season, and he’s set to inherit a starting position. They just traded for Johnson, who many think, if healthy, is a great nickel. Those guys seem set, unless a battle breaks out in training camp and something changes.

Here’s where it stands: Decamerion Richardson, Greedy Vance, and rookies Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses—one likely misses the 53-man roster if only six are kept, which is common. Last year, Pete Carroll kept just five, complicating things, but that was a different staff. Assume this staff keeps six for now.

Do they keep a backup nickel for Johnson, choosing Vance? He performed well as an undrafted free agent, playing 66 snaps, targeted seven times with only four catches allowed for 47 yards, and 94 intended air yards against. Or do Treydan Stukes and Dalton Johnson, rookie safeties, fill that backup nickel spot, opting for another boundary corner? Johnson has 441 career slot snaps in college. Doing that takes them away from being the center fielders the Raiders likely love them as in this scheme.

Although Isaiah Pola-Mao did play 102 slot snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus. And, according to Sports Info Solutions, he was targeted five times while in the slot, allowed two catches for 12 yards, and had an interception. So, maybe he takes on that role.

They surely won’t keep the two rookies off the 53-man, but if McCoy isn’t healthy and ready to play, then none of this matters anyway. But it’s certainly a huge question. Then you have guys like Decamerion Richardson, who played just 13 snaps in the secondary last year, not on special teams.

But in 2024, he played 559 snaps on defense. But when he did play, as he was injured most of 2025, he was decent in coverage. He didn’t allow a catch or target on six coverage snaps. Do they cut him off the 53-man?

Or do they cut Masses, their fifth-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, who has strong coverage skills? Masses played only 29 slot snaps in college, so keeping him over Vance means Taron Johnson would be the only slot CB starter.

At the beginning of the offseason, there was talk that the Raiders really needed to improve their cornerback room. And, they did. However, the issue wasn’t really that they didn’t have good depth or didn’t stumble upon it; it was more that they didn’t have an elite CB1. They are comfortable with Stokes being CB1. Now they have an issue of too many good CBs, and it started when they drafted McCoy, because they had to draft a backup plan in Masses, too.