After a fantastic rookie season, Nate Hobbs took a step backward. He just didn’t play as well in Year 2 and a big reason why might be due to the fact the Raiders moved him all over the field.
Hobbs played almost all of his snaps in the slot as a rookie, but the Raiders increased his role in Year 2 by making him an outside cornerback. While he certainly wasn’t bad in that spot, he just didn’t have quite as much success outside as he did in the slot.
But going into Year 3, Hobbs should make a big leap as he is easily the most talented member of their secondary. In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they wrote about Hobbs and his play going into the 2023 season:
After spending the large majority of his rookie season as a slot-only corner, Hobbs showed off his versatility by lining up out wide and in the slot in 2022, providing value to a key position of need for the Las Vegas defense.
While the Raiders added four new cornerbacks to their roster this offseason, Hobbs is arguably still one of their best options, so his role should be safe. Whether they want to use him in the slot or out wide again, he’ll have a place in the starting lineup as long as he’s healthy.
If the Raiders have any hope of being a successful defense in 2023, they are going to need Hobbs to play at a high level. The good news is that we’ve seen him be one of the most effective cornerbacks in the league in the past. Now it’s just getting him back to that level of play once again.
