Raiders Trade Jakorian Bennett to Eagles for Thomas Booker IV

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to trade cornerback Jakorian Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV, according to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Booker, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Houston Texans in 2022, aims to strengthen the Raiders’ defensive line following the release of Christian Wilkins, who has been recovering from an October Jones fracture. Last season, Booker participated in 17 games for the Eagles, starting once, and accumulated 18 tackles along with a sack.

The 25-year-old spent the 2023 season on the Eagles’ practice squad, following his rookie year where he appeared in 10 games with Houston.

Now in Las Vegas, Booker enters a highly competitive environment for the role of defensive tackle. Throughout training camp, the Raiders have experimented with Tyree Wilson, Leki Fotu, Jonah Laulu, Zach Carter, and newcomers Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues, spanning various roles in the interior line.

Bennett, who was a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, transitions after featuring in 24 games with 11 starts for the Raiders. The former standout from Maryland made a notable impact during his second NFL season, playing 10 games before a torn labrum necessitated season-ending surgery.

Operating chiefly as an outside cornerback, Bennett recorded 26 tackles and eight pass breakups. Opponents completed 23 catches for 294 yards and two touchdowns against him, producing a passer rating of 86.7 on 45 targeted plays.

At 24 years old, Bennett expressed in June that he was in the best physical condition since his college days. He initially played through his labrum injury before opting for surgery. Despite being fully recovered, he found himself lower in the depth chart.

Since the onset of OTAs, Bennett has mainly practiced with secondary and tertiary teams. Players like Eric Stokes and rookie Darien Porter have secured the majority of first-team snaps, with second-year cornerback Decamerion Richardson and JT Woods also receiving first-team practice opportunities.

Bennett expressed his resilience in facing challenges, stating last week that he remains unfazed by primarily working with backup teams. “I always feel like the underdog,” Bennett remarked last week. “I always had to get out [of] the mud, you know. And man, that’s nothing I shy away from. That’s who I am. I like to persevere.”

The Eagles are reconfiguring their cornerback strategy after releasing veteran Darius Slay this offseason, and the starting position at outside corner opposite Quinyon Mitchell remains open. Philadelphia brought in Adoree’ Jackson on a one-year contract in March, who currently shares first-team reps with 2023 fourth-round pick Kelee Ringo. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio mentioned on Monday that while both are performing well, neither has clearly secured the position.

“It’s close,” Fangio commented. “I think both of them are having a good camp, but it’s close, and been happy with both of them and we’ll see.”

The completion of the trade is contingent on physicals for both players, according to a source.