Jun 11, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0) and wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (10) run through a drill during Las Vegas Raiders Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Key Piece to the Raiders' Secondary

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 9:00 AM ET

One player that the Las Vegas Raiders are going to rely on a lot this season is third-year cornerback Jakorian Bennett. The cornerback position for the Silver and Black is not deep and is filled with a lot of young talent. The Raiders have a lot of question marks at the position, but they have trust in Bennett to be that veteran leader, even though he is only going into his third season in the NFL.

Bennett is up for the challenge. Bennett was a good player for the Raiders last season. It started because of the way he got ready and showed up at last year's training camp, ready to prove himself. And that is what he did, but unfortunately, his 2024 campaign was filled with injuries, and he could not be out there with his teammates for most of last season.

This offseason, Bennett focused on getting healthy and making sure he puts his body in the best position to be available for his team.

That was something big for him this offseason. And now he will look for his second straight training camp, where he is showing that he can be that cornerback that no quarterback wants to throw to. Bennett has a lot of upside, and he has seen him play good football before. Now he just needs to stay healthy and prove that he can be that player for the Silver and Black.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about how big this season will be for Bennett on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"All last summer, I sang his praises. All last year, I have been a believer," said Carpenter. "Before the draft of Jakorian Bennett, I talked about him before the draft. I knew that the Raiders really liked him, and I really liked him. This young man is fast. Speed, he is aggressive, he is talented, he is confident, but he is not an egomaniac. Last year he played terrific, and then he got injured."

"The key for Jakorian Bennett in 2025 is a money year. Year three, y'all know in the NFL, it is considered a money year. It is when you go to make your money now. People are going to show you grace in the first couple of years. But by the time you get to the end of year three, you've got to have shown something. Jakorian has already shown it... Now you've got to prove that you can do it over a sustained amount of time."