Raiders' Hobbs Learning from Veteran Additions

New Las Vegas Raiders defensive backs Marcus Peters and Marcus Epps have been helping Nate Hobbs throughout training camp.

The Las Vegas Raiders made several additions to their secondary this offseason, after a 2022 season that saw a disappointing performance from that position group.

This includes third-year man Nate Hobbs, who is coming off of a season of regression compared to his stellar rookie season.

Hobbs dealt with injuries last year that kept him out for several games, but is healthy now and is ready to regain his top form and is hoping to have a season more similar to 2021.

He has help from two of the Raiders’ offseason acquisitions as well, in cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Marcus Epps.

Hobbs addressed the media at training camp and spoke about how those two are helping him throughout practices.

“Man, MP [Marcus Peters], I just think his football IQ is on another level,” Hobbs said. “His instincts, his feet, body position. A guy like that, he just brings a whole new energy to our defense and there’s nothing like having a vet back there who can just see everything, it’s crazy to me. It’s like he’s in practice and a walk-through, so slow. And then Marcus Epps, man he’s a general out there, he knows what he’s doing, he’s getting everybody in the right position, and he just knows the defense like the back of his hand. He’s always in the right spot, always knows the right call to make. So I think that’s just real valuable additions to our defense that’s going to take our defensive back position to the next level.”

Hobbs mentioned that Epps already knows the playbook and is helping other players be in the right position. This is impressive considering he has been with the team for less than six months.

Epps and Peters are both defensive backs with high football IQs and good leadership intangibles, something a young secondary like the Raiders needs.

There are several question marks about what the secondary is going to look like and how high their ceiling can be, but having veterans like Epps and Peters can not only bolster the defense with their own individual play, but can also elevate the younger players in the secondary, raising the ceiling significantly. 

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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