Raiders reportedly eyeing this CB as top target in free agency

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to be busy when NFL free agency kicks off on March 12.

While the Raiders hope to re-sign their in-house defensive backs, it seems that the franchise also has Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy on its wish list.

The Athletic's Tashan Reed posted Sunday on X that Murphy is "at the top" of the list at cornerback for the Raiders.

The Raiders have not had a clear No. 1 cornerback for many seasons. If they were to add Murphy to the mix, he would be an upgrade over Jack Jones and free agent Nate Hobbs. While Jones has shown some flashes since joining the Raiders midway through the 2023 season, he didn't carry it over to the past season. Hobbs, meanwhile, has missed 17 games during his four-year career.

Murphy, 27, finished the season with six interceptions, 14 pass deflections, one forced fumble and 81 tackles in 17 games played. Listed as one of the three players the Raiders should target by Yardbarker, he would give the team the shutdown corner it needs in a competitive AFC West, especially with quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix in the division.

The Raiders' cornerbacks had four interceptions last season. It's hard to win with such lowly numbers, as evidenced by the Raiders' 4-13 finish. If the Raiders were to sign Murphy, it would be a win early in the offseason for the Raiders.