There was a time where the Silver & Black was the eventual home of Super Bowl heroes-turned-NFL free agents. The names Larry Brown (cornerback), Desmond Howard (wide receiver/return man), and Malcolm Smith (linebacker) standout as big game MVPs to head West back in the day.
While that trio didn’t pan out — Smith had two decent statistical seasons in Silver & Black in 2015-16 (225 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, four sacks, two interceptions) — this shouldn’t dissuade the Las Vegas Raiders from eyeing talent that played in Super Bowl LX.
Advertisement
Especially considering the new face of the place comes from the winning team: Klint Kubiak. The new leading man was the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator. And while his focus was scoring as many points as possible, Kubiak also got to see the defense do its work. And there’s a pending free agent cornerback that’s not only a familiar face but is at a position of need: Josh Jobe.
The 5-foot-11 and 190-pound Alabama product is slated to hit unrestricted free agency next month and is likely to hit the open market off a strong Super Bowl LX performance and 2025 season overall. At 27 years old (28 on April 9), the undrafted free agent is set to get a healthy raise over the $1.98 million he made with Seattle this past year. And Kubiak, alongside his chosen defensive coordinator Rob Leonard (who gets a promotion from defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach), should make a strong suggestion to general manager Joh Spytek that Jobe is a defender worth spending money on.
While the Raiders have promising youngster Darien Porter (third-round pick (68th overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft) and pending free agent Erick Stokes as the perimeter defenders, adding Jobe to the mix gives Las Vegas depth if the team can’t bring back Stokes. While he may be shorter than Porter (6-foot-3) and Stokes (6-foot-1), Jobe put up impressive numbers in coverage — better than the stingy Stokes, even.
Advertisement
Jobe, who started 15 of the 16 regular season games this past season, was tested often getting 91 targets and only allowing 45 completions. That’s an impressive 49.5 completion percentage and quarterbacks throwing his way sported a 77 passer rating. Combine that with Jobe’s 54 total tackles (41 solo), two quarterback hits, half a sack, one interception and 12 pass deflections — according to Pro Football Reference — and it was a fine 2025 campaign for the Miami native.
While his size profile makes it seem Jobe is a slot/nickel cornerback, he has a long frame which allows him to be a physical cover corner on the boundary. He’s shown effectiveness in both man and zone concepts and his ascension from practice squad add to starter allowed Seahawks defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to create chaos by deploying the instinctive Devon Witherspoon to move into the slot. Whether it was blitzing, defending the run, or covering receivers, Witherspoon shined — including a standout Super Bowl LX performance.
We’ll see what kind of defense Leonard cooks up in his first year as a defensive play caller, but coming from the same Baltimore Ravens stock that Macdonald comes from, there’s a high likelihood the Raiders will deploy a physical defense to complement Kubiak’s offense.
While his on-field performance has shown steady improvement since joining the league with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. After being more of a special teamer his first two years in Philadelphia, the Seahawks inked Jobe and he’s the classic case of flier signing/practice squad talent putting in the work and becoming a starter.
Advertisement
Jobe earned starting snaps in November of 2024 and didn’t look back. Playing in 10 games that seasons (six starts0, Jobe was targeted 50 times allowing 28 completions (56 percent) for 354 yards and one touchdown. Quarterbacks throwing at Jobe had a 76.6 passer rating. The cornerback earned more starts in 2025 and finished with 517 yards and four touchdowns allowed. His defensive snaps rose in 2025 (818) after playing 443 the previous season. And since a career-high special teams snaps in 2023 (323 total), Jobe has notched 72 total with Seattle.
Jobe’s journey from undrafted, to flier practice squad addition, to standout starter is a solid example of how hard work can pay dividends. And what a pay day he’s slated to earn — with Seattle or the highest bidder. Because of his consistent 2025 performance, Jobe’s valuation is much loftier than the near-$2 million he earned. Over The Cap lists his annual average salary at $7.821 million while Spotrac’s valuation sits at $9.7 million per year. The site projects Jobe to get a three-year, $29.221-plus million market value contract in unrestricted free agency.
That may sound rich, but a Raiders team that’s flush with salary cap space and needing to spend to bolster a roster for Kubiak’s rookie season as an NFL head coach, a contract and player of Jobe’s caliber are worthwhile investments.
