Raiders' Nate Hobbs Recalls Rookie Year Experience

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Illinois cornerback Nate Hobbs in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Since then, Hobbs has developed into one of the top Nickel cornerbacks in the league. He had an impressive rookie season, an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, and a bounce-back third season.

Hobbs’ role as a cornerstone of the Silver and Black defense became evident in 2023. He needs to stay healthy if the Raiders’ defense is going to maximize its ceiling.

Hobbs ended up being a steal in the fifth round for the Raiders. He talked about his rookie year experience and his college years leading up to it when he joined defensive end Maxx Crosby on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby."

“I already had a huge chip on my shoulder,” Hobbs said. “It started in the draft process – it really started before that. My junior year, I had a pretty good season. We had a coaching change, so I had to find my groove for the first two or three games with the coaching. After that, I just locked in. I had a really good junior season. So, I’m torn between declaring or not. They’re telling me I might go third or fourth round, but you know how scouts are. ‘If you come back the next year, you might go first or second round.’ They’re telling me all this, this, that, and the third, I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna go ahead and stay.”

In his senior season at Illinois, COVID hit. Hobbs said that strange season was the first time in his football career he got hurt. He said it resulted in agents ignoring his phone calls, leading to a low point in his life.

It led him to an eventual draft declaration, where he dominated pre-draft workouts. He eventually ended up with the Raiders. He described a moment he shared with former General Manager Mike Mayock.

“I’m like, ‘Man, I appreciate you for just giving me this opportunity; you won’t regret it," Hobbs said. "I’m going to do whatever I have to do for this team. It doesn’t matter where I have to play; I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.’ He was like, ‘Oh yeah. While we’re on that subject, we think you’re going to be a good defensive player in the future.’”

Hobbs took that to mean Mayock and the Raiders’ organization thought he wasn’t ready to contribute on a large scale and was only prepared to compete on special teams. While Hobbs obliged, he felt he was ready for more.

“When I get on this field, I’m going to make it undeniable," he said. "Can’t nobody but Jesus tell me s---. When I got on the field, I just did the best of my abilities to stand on that.”

Hobbs’ perseverance and determination helped him work his way onto the field, and become a main contributor for the Raiders, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with Crosby and Hobbs.

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