USA TODAY Sports

Raiders Under Contract: CB Jakorian Bennett

Originally posted on FanNation Raider Maven
By Aidan Champion | Last updated 1/22/24

The Las Vegas Raiders desperately needed to improve their secondary last offseason, and they did so through free agency and the draft.

The Raiders drafted former Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett with the first of their two fourth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. They signed him to a rookie deal worth $4.6-million.

Bennett came in as one of the fastest players in the draft with a 40-yard dash time of 4.30 seconds at the 2023 NFL Combine, the second-fastest time of any prospect.

Las Vegas had a lot of confidence in the young cornerback as it started him in its first four games. Bennett's first two games happened to be the best of his season. He posted seven combined tackles in Week 1 and a season-best nine combined tackles in Week 2.

Unfortunately, injuries halted the rookie's momentum, as Bennett would suffer a hamstring injury that had him limited in Week 4 before missing Week 5. He then dealt with a shoulder injury that had him miss Week 7. In his Week 8 return, Bennett played just three defensive snaps.

Bennett's season simply was not the same the rest of the way. He was inactive for the Raiders' first matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 and only played on special teams in Las Vegas' final three games. Bennett finished the 2023 season with 32 combined tackles and three passes defensed.

This offseason will be crucial for the 23-year-old cornerback as he will be looking to remind the Raiders of his true potential when he takes the field for OTAs and training camp.

From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr, and never miss another breaking news story again. Sign up RIGHT HERE for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes thrice a week and delivers all our best stories.

This article first appeared on FanNation Raider Maven and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: