Raiders add Riq Woolen clone for Pete Carroll in third round

The Raiders have chosen to address a major need at cornerback

With the 68th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter.

Porter achieved several comparison to Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen throughout the draft. Woolen was selected during new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll’s tenure with the team, and he developed nicely into a Pro Bowl cornerback. With Porter, Carroll now has a new version of one of his best developmental jobs yet.

What Porter brings to the Raiders

With Jack Jones gone after becoming one of the top cornerbacks on the Raiders last season, a significant hole was opened in the secondary.

Standing at six-foot-four and running a 4.3 40-yard dash, Porter is an athletic marvel. Despite only having limited experience at cornerback, Porter’s ball skills as a wide receiver shine through with his ability to make plays on the ball and understand routes to cut receivers off. Consistency could be an issue, especially if he matches with the top receivers on the opposing team, but the build and skills are there to create a lockdown cornerback.

The pick could cause controversy with Shedeur Sanders still on the board, but Carroll and company must feel that Porter is the right choice.