NFL rumors: 4 teams that should trade for Dolphins corner Xavien Howard

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders clearly understand the secondary is a problem, having traded up in the second round to take a prospect many considered to be the top safety in the draft, TCU’s Trevon Moehrig.

But it’s dubious at best whether that will be enough to turn around a pass defense that allowed the seventh-most yards per game in the NFL last year.

And, with Damon Arnette struggling to justify his status as a 2020 first-round pick during his rookie year, the prospect of him starting across from Trayvon Mullen in 2021 may be a daunting one for the Raiders as they enter year four of Jon Gruden’s second spell as head coach and their first in Las Vegas with fans allowed in the stands.

The addition of Howard would not only give the Raiders somebody they could depend on at the cornerback position, but also an exciting defensive playmaker that should help them in their efforts to build a new core fanbase in Las Vegas following the move from Oakland.

Like the Cowboys, the Raiders are not flush with cap space — Las Vegas has under $5 million to spare — but, having recently whiffed on first-round picks, they shouldn’t be shy about parting with their 2022 opening-round selection to land Howard.