As Derek Carr prepares for one of the most anticipated seasons in Raiders history he’ll be facing some of the best corners in the NFL.
After a thorough examination, this list could easily be a top 10 instead of a top five with the Oakland Raider’s schedule in 2017. In fact, according to ESPN, the Raiders have the fourth toughest schedule in 2017 with opponents averaging a .564 win percentage and looking at the corners Carr is going to have to throw it to, it certainly seems that difficult!
Just to give Raider Nation an idea of the star power Carr and the Raider’s receivers will be going up against I will throw in an honorable mentions list, to begin with. So without further ado, here’s my personal list of the best corners the Raiders will be facing in 2017 and a brief overview of their stats.
Honorable Mentions
- Aqib Talib – Denver Broncos
- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – New York Giants
- Morris Claiborne – New York Jets
- Casey Hayward – San Diego Chargers
- Brandon Carr – Baltimore Ravens
No. 5 Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants
Jenkins allowed a mere 54.8 passer rating against and surrendered only two touchdowns all season while snagging three interceptions.
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No. 4 Malcolm Butler, New England Patriots
Butler allowed fewer than 20 receiving yards seven times during the 2016-17 season and had 4 interceptions; not to mention that arguably this will be the biggest game of the NFL season.
Embed from Getty ImagesNo. 3 Josh Norman, Washington Redskins
Norman allowed a passer rating of 72.6 against but only allowed 589 yards passing and four touchdowns. Hauling in three interceptions in 2016 Norman was also flagged 14 times.
Embed from Getty ImagesNo. 2 Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
Peters hauled in six interceptions while allowing only 4 touchdowns. Peters had a 63.5 passer rating against. Peters has only been in the league two seasons and will only get better.
Embed from Getty ImagesNo. 1 Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
Harris had a 63.3 passer rating against but only allowed a total of 337 receiving yards in 2016. Chris also gave up only three touchdowns and snagged two interceptions. Harris was only targeted 72 times.
It’s no secret the Raiders have some pretty tall tasks ahead of them in the passing game with most of their competition coming directly from their own division, playing guys like Talib, Harris Jr., and Peters.
In spite of this, between Carr’s growth over the past few seasons and a young talented receiving corps. the Raiders should weather the storm and come out alright. Plus the addition of Marshawn Lynch in the backfield should create plenty of opportunities to keep the defense guessing.