Raiders free agent idea lands former $65 million All-Pro defender in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders addressed cornerback in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting Iowa's Darien Porter. Though Porter has some promise and could be a future starter for Las Vegas, the team could still use another starting-caliber corner to go along with Jakorian Bennett.

The Raiders could be comfortable with Eric Stokes as the other boundary corner opposite Bennett, but The Athletic's Tashan Reed still believes general manager John Spytek should sign free-agent defensive back Stephon Gilmore to serve as a starter in the secondary.

"While Gilmore is most famous for his work as an outside cornerback, he’s also capable of lining up at nickelback. He’ll turn 35 in September and, at this point in his career, transitioning to a slot role is probably best," Reed wrote.

Gilmore isn't the same player he once was, but the 34-year-old is still a solid player who started 15 games for the Minnesota Vikings last year. The five-time Pro Bowler has the versatility to play on the boundary and in the slot, and his veteran and playoff experience would be a major addition to a Raiders squad under a new regime.

Additionally, signing Gilmore in free agency should be incredibly cheap. Spotrac projects the Super Bowl LIII champion will land a one-year deal worth $5.3 million on the open market. Las Vegas still has a good amount of cap space to use, so they should be willing to pay the price for a potential starter.

The Raiders must field a capable secondary in 2025 to make a run to the playoffs. Gilmore has lost a step and is no longer an elite corner, but the two-time All-Pro would be an upgrade over Stokes and provide decent play for Patrick Graham's unit.

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