Raiders' Opponents Ranked: CBs, No. 3

In trying to make back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time since 2000-02, the Las Vegas Raiders will navigate the NFL's fourth-hardest rated schedule, according to Pro Football Focus.

They will face some of the best cornerbacks in the league as they go through this schedule, which will give their upgraded receiving corps plenty of challenges.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore has alternated playing like a top-flight cover-man and struggling throughout his career.

He arguably still hasn't recaptured the highs he experienced in his rookie season in 2017, where he won the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Lattimore set what is still his career-high mark for interceptions in a season with five, taking one back for a touchdown, with 18 other pass breakups.

He's was PFF's seventh-ranked corner that year, but hadn't been in the top-10 again until last season.

Lattimore's sophomore follow-up in 2018 was good, playing all 16 games, picking off two passes and forcing four fumbles.

He would see his lowest two PFF grades in 2019 and 2020, though, as he missed multiple games each year and had three combined interceptions in that time period.

His traditional and advanced stats would finally get back to aligning last season, as he got back to playing at a top-tier level.

Lattimore finished with three interceptions and a career-high 19 pass breakups, making his third-straight Pro Bowl in the process.

This came despite being targeted the most times in his career, and he still held quarterbacks to a 57.5 completion percentage.

Lattimore's efforts last season against the now Washington Commanders was particularly impressive, forcing seven incompletions, which was the most in a single game since 2016.

As stated earlier, it was also the first time he was ranked in the top-10 of corners by PFF since Lattimore was a rookie.

He's one of several Pro Bowl level talents that the Saints have been able to rely on their defense for the past half-decade, a run that started after they drafted Lattimore.

You could make an argument that he's been one of the main catalysts for that success, and if he continues his strong play, it'll only make the Raiders visit to the Bayou this season even more difficult.

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