Josh McDaniels on Rookie CB Jakorian Bennett

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Bennett joins a young and crowded cornerback room, a position group that was noticeably altered throughout the offseason with an influx of rookies and free agent signings.

With starting spots up for grabs at cornerback, Bennett could have an advantage due to his elite athleticism and knack for always being around the ball.

Bennett has been impressive in training camp, even catching the eye of Coach Josh McDaniels. The head coach addressed the media at training camp and had good things to say about his rookie corner.

“He’s mature, really a pleasure to work with,” he said. “Takes the game very seriously, intelligent, can learn quick and then take it from the meeting room to the field. You’ve seen him compete on some down-the-field throws. It’s hard to run by the guy because he runs very well and he’s trying to get his hands on balls, which we saw in college as well. So, just a competitive guy, good leader, quiet at times when he’s really paying attention. Does a really good job of understanding the material, works really hard at it. And again, there’s a lot of those guys I think in this class that kind of fit the same mold, but JB has done a good job so far.”

McDaniels’ comment about Bennett being hard to run by stands out, not only because he is incredibly fast, but also because of his technical proficiency. Some players can be fast but not know how to run well, and Bennett does both.

McDaniels also mentioned that Bennett is mature, which is always an encouraging thing for a coach to say about a rookie. His maturity off the field and in the film room can lead to maturity and mistake-free football on the field.

Bennett is soon to turn 23 years old and is looking to become a long-term option at cornerback for the Raiders. So far, impressing his coaches is a step in the right direction towards doing that. Bennett has a chance to be an important contributor to the Raiders’ defense during his rookie season.

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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