The Las Vegas Raiders spent their first two picks addressing offensive needs, but in the third round, they went after possibly the team’s biggest need — cornerback.
With the 68th pick, the Raiders selected Darien Porter, the cornerback out of Iowa State. The team opted for Porter over cornerbacks Shavon Revel Jr., out of East Carolina, and Azareye’h Thomas from
Florida State.
Las Vegas Raiders Select With 68th Pick In NFL Draft
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Porter as the 12th-best cornerback in the draft, outside of his top 100 prospect list, writing, “Porter is a unique prospect that requires heavy projection because of his meager experience, but he has the rare combination of physical traits and promising ball skills to develop into an NFL starting corner. With rare size/speed and a wide receiver background, Riq Woolen is the natural NFL comparison — if Porter develops more of a competitive edge.”
TJ Porter’s college career at Iowa State, where he was a one-year starter, is characterized by a unique blend of special teams excellence and developing defensive skills. While he set a school record with 64 games played, a significant portion of his playing time was concentrated on special teams (970 career snaps), compared to offense (53) and defense (694). After transitioning from receiver to cornerback in 2022, he earned a starting role in 2024, although he was part of a rotation, averaging 35.4 defensive snaps per game.
Porter, a towering athlete with a track background, possesses exceptional athletic traits for his size. He effectively utilizes his length to limit passing windows in coverage, resulting in eight passes defended and zero touchdowns allowed over the past two seasons. While his limited defensive experience may contribute to occasional delays in reading route development, his extensive special-teams background significantly enhances his overall value. Notably, he is the only player in Big 12 history with five or more career blocked kicks.