Oakland Raiders: Breaking down each member of the 10-man practice squad
By Justin Fried
7. Nick Nelson, CB
Another area that the Raiders were surprisingly deep at this summer was at cornerback. And we saw two players that the Raiders cut eventually re-sign on team’s practice squad.
The first of which is Nick Nelson.
Nelson was a fourth-round pick last year out of Wisconsin and while the rookie certainly went through his share of first-year struggles, he was expected to fight for playing time this season. But after a disappointing summer, Nelson instead found himself without a job.
It speaks volumes about Nelon’s leaguewide value that he went unclaimed and was instead signed to the team’s practice squad. Perhaps Nelson will be able to turn his career around after this wake-up call.
Or perhaps his legacy will be that of yet another failed Raiders mid-round draft pick.
light. Related Story. Oakland Raiders: Top 3 takeaways from the team’s initial round of cuts
8. Dylan Mabin, CB
The other cornerback that the team decided to bring back to the practice squad was 2019 undrafted free agent Dylan Mabin.
Mabin has the ideal size for defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s unit standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 195 pounds. Unfortunately, he was injured for a good chunk of the preseason so his looks in-game were limited.
Still, the Fordham product is a solid developmental project with the physical upside of a quality NFL cornerback. And if the injury bug strikes at the position — as it’s already stricken fourth-round rookie Isaiah Johnson — Mabin could ultimately get his shot.
Just don’t expect him to be the first cornerback promoted.