The Las Vegas Raiders are entering the 2022 season with plenty of X-factors, but their best secret weapon might end up being Nate Hobbs.
It seems Hobbs’ arrival on the national scene was inevitable. His 2021 season was his first season and boy did he surprise. The young cornerback was in the top four for the Raiders with 74 combined tackles and also had 51 solo tackles to his credit.
The 2022 season is going to be an interesting one for Hobbs. He will have a new scheme to work on and more competition. Expectations for the players have to be skyrocketing, especially due to the noise coming out of training camp.
Nate Hobbs, Raiders Camp, And The DBs
Prior to this upcoming season, speculation and questions have arisen about the team’s defensive backs. Specifically, their health, with most of them having missed time at one point or another. Training camp may have answered part of that question for some.
The 22-year-old mainly played in the slot in his first year in the league, but he’s been getting reps on the outside, most notably last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, you may wonder why he is being categorized as a “secret.” The defensive back isn’t on the national media’s radar like he is on Raider insiders and fans.
One example of such coverage has been Hobbs getting praised over and over again during training camp for his sticky coverage of Davante Adams. Recently, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson released a video via Twitter of Adams getting past Hobbs with ease. Adams later took to Twitter to give props to the young cornerback. “Nate is one of the best young DBs I’ve been around,” posted Adams. This goes to show an All-Pro wide receiver in Adams realizes the potential Hobbs has. The Raiders’ secret at this training camp is Hobbs. He will start the season as an inside secret for the Raiders but will end as a known nuisance for the rest of the NFL.
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*Top Photo: CBS WLKY
