The Las Vegas Raiders took a real hit this offseason, even though they were busy making the splashiest move of signing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. With every player you sign, you lose some, too, and the Raiders lost a great player to an NFC foe.
When 2023 started, the Raiders weren't a great defensive team. In fact, they were very, very bad. When Josh McDaniels was fired, it freed up defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to coach the way he wanted to. The second half of the season saw the Raiders with a top-five defense.
Of course, it's easy to see why the unit was so good when Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Jack Jones, and Robert Spillane were playing the way they were. However, one other unsung hero on the defense was cornerback Amik Robertson, who was an under-the-radar guy who consistently made a game-winning play.
During the offseason, he accepted a contract with the Detroit Lions, an up-and-coming young team who just made the NFC Championship and nearly had the game won. They needed more defensive pieces last season, and they got that in Robertson. Head coach Antonio Pierce described what the Lions are getting in Robertson.
"He's a ball hawk," Pierce said. "I mean, a guy that's very - you hate to say it, but he's kind of got like a little man's complex; he plays bigger than what he is. You're looking at a 5-8, 5-9 guy but an extremely talented, gifted competitor. Sad to see him go, but I'm very proud of him."
But that's bad news for the Raiders, as they will be missing a key piece to their defense and a great depth cornerback who had some really good games.
"He did an extremely good job for us," Pierce continued. "Always battled, was always the next man up, and then when he got the opportunity this year, he made the most of it."
The Raiders will have to find that in the draft now, and they very well could take a cornerback in the first round of the draft with their first pick at No. 13. Either way, it won't be easy replacing Robertson.
More must-reads: