Raiders-post draft: Best available free agents

There some good fits remaining for Las Vegas

Now, that the NFL draft is over, the Las Vegas Raiders will likely revisit free agency some to fill out the roster and add to where they may be lacking

Yet, there still have some needs and have the salary-cap room to do some things. And the good news is, there are still some solid free agents available on the open market. And there is one position of note here.

Let’s look at some who may be a good fit for the Raiders:

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore:

Gilmore will turn 34 in September, so he would be a short-term answer, but he could be a pretty nice tandem with Jack Jones for the 2024 season. Raiders’ general manager Tom Telesco has recently said the Raiders would like to add a veteran at the position. You’re not going to get much better than Gilmore.

Cornerback Xavien Howard:

Here’s another veteran cornerback. Howard, who’ll turn 31 in July, has seen his production slip some and he has had some minor health woes, but he can still play. He has history with Las Vegas defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and assistant Gerald Alexander.

Cornerback Steven Nelson:

He is not flashy, but he is consistent and would be a nice, affordable fit in Las Vegas. Nelson, 31, has been a starter for the past six seasons. He had four interceptions for Houston last season. The Raiders could do worse than him.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Tackle Donovan Smith:
He started for Kansas City and could add competition for Thayer Munford for the starting right tackle job.

Cornerback Adoree Jackson:

Like Dillard, Jackson is a former first-round pick. He is versatile and athletic. His issues have been injury-related. He could, at least, be a solid rotational piece for Graham’s defense. By the way, Jackson and Graham were with the New York Giants in 2021.