As quick as his 4.3 40-yard dash speed at the NFL Combine, life came at Porter fast two weeks ago against the Denver Broncos. After starting cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly exited early with a season-ending knee injury, the former receiver turned cornerback stepped up with two pass deflections and six total tackles.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has been encouraged by the subtle but meaningful strides Porter has made throughout his rookie campaign.
“His patience at the line of scrimmage, his ability to stay on top in coverage,” Graham said. “Again, every defensive back is going to get beat deep at some point. So like, again, the biggest thing for me is just telling him, dude, I got all the faith in the world in you. … He’s just learning to be more confident, growing in his position.”
Hemingway, a fourth-round pick from South Carolina, has posted one quarterback sack and a fumble recovery in his six games played.
“Just been doing it my whole life, staying patient and staying true to who you are,” Hemingway said of earning more reps. “I’m going to be even keel just knowing that when the chance comes, I’m going to be ready. Ready to take that next step.”
Heading into Week 16 against the Houston Texans, the Silver and Black find themselves in a position with not much left to lose but far more to gain to end the season. With each rep the rookie class earns, it will prepare each of them for what’s to come ahead next season. And more importantly, it gives the proper eyes in the building some NFL tape to evaluate.
In reality, the future of the Raiders isn’t too far off from becoming their present day product.