Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll on radio row during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Raiders Must Play to Their Strengths in 2025

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are still putting the pieces together on both sides of the ball, but especially in their defensive backfield. So far in camp, the Raiders' defensive backs have begun giving glimpses of what to expect.

Following training camp, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith shared his thoughts on the unit.

"Yeah, shoot, man, I got to throw around those guys. They're on them, really sticky in coverage. We got some really fast DBs and guys who are really good in man, but I really like the way they're communicating," Smith said.

"They got a lot of good things that they have in, and I think they're only going to continue to get better, man, like we haven't even started tackling yet and doing all the things that they're going to be really good at."

Smith noted his excitement for the Raiders' defensive backfield, as the unit has been hard at work during training camp. The unit will be guided by Patrick Graham, who once again use the defense's strength to help protect its defensive backs.

"I'm excited to see Jeremy Chinn out there hitting people. I'm excited to see Isaiah [Pola-Mao] hitting people, and get to see Jamal [Adams] flying around, and just all those guys, man. [Eric] Stokes has had a great camp. I think DP, Darien Porter, is going to be a special player. So a lot of good things on that back end," Smith said.

"D-Cam [Decamerion Richardson] been balling, Shoot man, Chris Smith, I mean, all of them. They're all just making plays all over the field. They're flying around. They're talking smack to me. So it's all fun stuff, man, stuff that we enjoy."

Following training camp, veteran defensive back Darnay Holmes expressed confidence in his fellow defensive backs. Holmes noted that the Raiders' defensive backs are well aware of the perception that they are the weak link on the team.

"Yeah, I feel like there's no limit to it. I can't give no generic answer. We haven't played one snap of real football just yet. So at the end of the day, we got high expectations for ourselves," Holmes said.

"We've seen the reports out there on us, so we know what we got to do to go out there and showcase that we are not those reports. But at the end of the day, we are only worried about what's going on inside house, and we're going to continue to contribute in all aspects in our game."

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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