Swagger of Raiders young cornerbacks bodes well for future

The Raiders’ locker room was a bundle of energy and activity Wednesday as players made their way off the practice field.

One section was a little more boisterous than the rest.

That’s often the case when it comes to the cornerbacks. It’s a collection of young, talented, Type A personalities that has developed into a surprising strength for the team’s much-improved defense.

If character traits can help define performance, the confidence and brash demeanor of the cornerbacks is paying off.

“We all got that swagger to us,” Amik Robertson said. “That confidence.”

The tone setters are Robertson and Nate Hobbs, the longest-tenured players in what has developed into an eclectic room, and newcomer Jack Jones, whose brashness and bravado have found the ideal home in Las Vegas after a falling out with the Patriots resulted in his release five weeks ago.

The quietest of the bunch, Tyler Hall, is a rotational player who has filled in on the perimeter and in the slot.

Every one of them bares his soul on the field and makes his presence felt one way or another. The difference this season compared to so many others of the recent past is the positive difference they are making instead of the negative.

For so many years a defensive weakness for the Raiders, this cornerback group has positively impacted games with physicality, ball-hawking, coverage and the ability to force turnovers.

More often than not, that’s when the emotions come spilling out.

“All of our personalities come out on the field at some point,” Hobbs said. “You’re gonna see us make a play and get fired up, and you might see us going at it or jawing with a receiver. At some point in the game, you might see all three of us doing that. But I think that’s important to have at the DB position. Attitude. Grit.”

They’re all traits their offensive counterparts saw emerging in training camp. That it has come to fruition in the regular season is a source of satisfaction.

“Confidence and swag go hand in hand,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “It’s something that they definitely bring and take a lot of pride in.”

The more, the better, Adams said.

“I love it. It shows a lot of confidence,” he said. “It shows that you’re into the game and in the moment, which is something you’ve got to be at corner, locked in on the moment.”

The addition of Jones — and the release of Marcus Peters — has recast the secondary into a much more cohesive, physical and aggressive unit. That was evident in the unit’s second game together when it combined for 14 tackles and an interception that was returned for a touchdown against the Chargers last Thursday night.

Jones was the highest-graded defensive player in the NFL last week, per Pro Football Focus, with a grade of 94.2 out of 100.

Three of the Raiders’ 10 highest-graded defensive players, according to PFF, are Hall, Jones and Hobbs. Robertson ranks 16th.

There’s a bond among the group, too. As interim coach Antonio Pierce explained, “the competitiveness” and “spirited battles among each other” are on full display. But so is the caring.

“How they celebrate with one another, that’s what I like to see,” Pierce said. “Sometimes you’d be on teams, and a guy would make a big play, and everybody walks away from him. These guys gravitate to one another.”

The youth of the room bodes well for the future. Only Robertson is not under contract for next season, but it almost seems a forgone conclusion he’ll be brought back.

“I feel like we’re laying a foundation,” he said.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.