Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek isn’t sitting in on his laurels; he’s working quickly to make sure the entire rookie class is signed. At the same time, a couple of players he jettisoned out of Sin City have already found homes.
One of those rookies from Spytek’s aforementioned 2025 masterclass is Darien Porter. A former wide receiver who converted to cornerback, Porter made quite the impact at Iowa State this past season. He recorded three interceptions, two tackles for a loss, and two pass deflections. Porter also cracked the top ten in the interception category for the Big 12. As you can see, it’s easy to see why some are calling him a steal.
Now with him on board, the Raiders can concentrate on the developmental phase. A couple of players whom the team did not deem were worthy of seeing the field in 202 were Adam Butler and Amari Burney. Despite being released, the duo didn’t have to wait long for another shot. Butler is headed to sunny Miami while Burney heads to football no-man’s land in Tennessee.
While some might’ve been surprised to see the duo get released, it’s obvious that the Raiders defense is in a full youth movement with players that’ll be drafted by this current regime with just a few exceptions.
As for Porter, he recently spoke about being a USC football fan and recalling Carroll’s days when the program flourished under the new Raiders head coach.
“I was watching him in the early to mid-2000s with USC. So for me, it’s kind of surreal to have this kind of come full circle for me. Now he’s my head coach in the NFL, so it’s crazy.”
Raider Nation’s hoping that these upcoming seasons will mirror the success that Carroll had in Southern California. Porter figures to be instrumental in that.
*Top Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today
