The Las Vegas Raiders were plagued by poor coaching and personnel decisions on the offensive side of the ball last year. However, the team's highly-touted defense was held back by injuries.
Not only did edge rusher Malcolm Koonce miss the season with a torn ACL, but $110 million defensive tackle Christian Wilkins never returned after suffering a broken foot in Week 5.
Durable star Maxx Crosby also missed five games, and cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Jakorian Bennett missed six and seven games during the 2024 campaign, respectively.
While Crosby and Koonce have seemingly returned to the team this offseason with no issues, Wilkins' broken foot has nagged him throughout OTAs.
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0).
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett (0).
Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Bennett has been a participant this offseason, but reports have indicated that after starting last season, he is running with the second team this spring as he fully recovers from his shoulder surgery.
On Tuesday, Bennett spoke to the media about where he stands in his recovery process and how he is feeling now that mandatory minicamp has started in Las Vegas.
"It feels amazing, man. I haven't had both my shoulders since college," Bennett said. "Last season, my shoulder probably popped out like five times cause I had a torn labrum. A lot of people don't know that, but I was just thugging it out. ... But it feels good to have it back."
In 2024, Bennett played in just 10 games but he recorded eight passes defended. He also added 26 total tackles in his second NFL campaign.
After being a fourth-round selection in 2023, Bennett really burst onto the scene for the Raiders' defense last season, but his incredible run was shortened by an injury.
With Hobbs and Jack Jones gone, as well as safeties Tre'Von Moehrig and Marcus Epps, the Raiders are expecting the secondary to look completely different in 2025. Bennett is the lone holdover who can expect to see himself in the starting lineup or taking a significant snap share this season.
Bennett will have an upper hand on a cornerback room that consists of Decamerion Richardson, Eric Stokes and 2025 third-round pick Darien Porter because he has more experience in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's system.
However, staying healthy will always be a priority for Bennett, but it seems like things are trending in that direction.