Having not played since Week 4, cornerback Trayvon Mullen has been activated off of injured reserve. That will be massive for the Las Vegas Raiders down the stretch.
Taking Steps Forward
After taking some steps forward in 2020, Mullen was expected to do so again in 2021. Along with the entirety of the defense, he did just that. Bookending lockdown corner Casey Hayward, Mullen was playing very well in his own right. He even had a PFF grade close to 70, making him a solid number two cornerback.
Then came the foot injury, which prompted the IR stint and kept him sidelined for over a month. That wasn’t the only hit taken by the Raiders cornerback room either, as they also released former first-round pick, Damon Arnette. In their stead was Brandon Facyson. Facyson, who started admirably against the Denver Broncos, began to get picked on by opposing offenses following that game. That was most notable against the Chiefs, where Tyreek Hill had a massive performance. The Raiders will need Facyson to become a depth piece while Mullen returns to the starting lineup moving forward.
Big Games On The Horizon
At 6-5, the Raiders are squarely in the playoff race. As such, the Raiders could use any reinforcements. Nowhere is this more true than on defense, where Las Vegas will have to play the Chiefs and Chargers again. Having only played six snaps against the Chargers and none against the Chiefs, Mullen will give those teams someone else to gameplan for. That will be great for the Raiders’ defense as a whole, as the last time they played the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns.
As Hayward continues to put together a Pro Bowl season, the Raiders need a true bookend for him. While Facyson was a fun story at first, he is not that guy. That makes the return of Mullen possibly the biggest addition of the entire season for the Raiders. When Mullen returns, look for the Raiders’ defense to return to prominence as well.
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*Top Photo: Jeff Haynes/Associated Press