HENDERSON, Nev. -- Let's practice understanding who qualifies as a "Pete Carroll" cornerback. Here are the scouting combine measurements of two cornerbacks with ties to the Las Vegas Raiders coach:
Player A: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, 32-inch arm span, 38-inch vertical jump and 4.54-second 40-yard dash.
Player B: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, 33.13-inch arm span, recorded a 36.5-inch vertical and 4.3-second 40-yard dash.
Both vastly similar, right?
Player A is Richard Sherman, the former Seattle Seahawks star who was a key member of the Legion of Boom. Player B is Darien Porter, the Raiders' 2025 third-round draft pick whom Carroll didn't hesitate to compare to Sherman following the second day of last month's draft.
Like Sherman, Porter has an elite combination of size, length, speed and ball skills that intrigues Carroll. On top of that, Sherman and Porter began their college careers as wide receivers before switching to cornerback.
"We've always looked for guys that are fast, long and tall because of the way we coach them," said Carroll, who coached the Seahawks for 14 seasons.
In five years at Stanford, Sherman was a wide receiver for three seasons and then played cornerback for his final two seasons. During Porter's six-year career (64 games) at Iowa State, he was a wideout for three seasons and a cornerback for another three. He started in seven career games at cornerback -- all coming in 2024.
It remains to be seen whether Porter will have as glamorous a career as Sherman, a fifth-round pick in 2011 who became a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was named first-team All-Pro three times. But Carroll has high hopes for the 24-year-old Porter. Despite Porter's lack of starting experience at Iowa State, the Raiders and his former college coaches believe his best football is ahead of him.
"There's a lot of similarities in the makeup of these two kids," Carroll said. "Richard's history is pretty bright, so I have high expectations for how this works out with Darien, and he kind of fits the mold."
At Iowa State, Porter had difficulty getting game reps on offense. From 2019 to 2022, he played 43 snaps at wide receiver, running just nine routes and catching one pass for zero yards.
However, Porter -- an Iowa native -- managed to make a name for himself on special teams. His top-end speed as a gunner impressed Cyclones defensive coordinator Jon Heacock, leading him and the rest of the coaching staff to make a change.
"[Porter] was an incredible player on special teams, and a lot of times that leans towards a defensive guy," Heacock told ESPN. "We decided to give him a shot, and it was a great move for him."
Porter's experience at wide receiver was a cheat sheet for his transition to cornerback. In addition to his ball skills, he had a good understanding of why wide receivers align a certain way and their splits.
"It's like guys that transfer from running back to linebacker. They can find the holes that running backs are going because that's what they played [and] they have the vision," said Heacock, who has been the defensive coordinator at Iowa State since 2016. "I think it's true of a wide receiver that moves to defensive back."
In Porter's first two seasons at cornerback, he played 258 defensive snaps (154 in coverage). He registered 17 tackles, three pass breakups and gave up a completion percentage of 60.9% on 23 targets.
Last season, Porter blossomed into a starter and a reliable defender in the secondary. In 409 defensive snaps (192 in coverage), Porter had 18 tackles, three pass breakups and three interceptions. He was targeted 15 times, allowing a completion percentage of 26.7%.
One of Porter's three interceptions came in a loss to Texas Tech, but the play perfectly showcased his skill set. In the second quarter, Red Raider quarterback Behren Morton attempted a deep pass near Iowa State's sideline. Porter kept up with the intended target and wide receiver Kaleb Douglas before turning around and securing the ball with both hands.
"It was probably as good a play as I've seen," Heacock said. "It was closing speed, technique [and] fighting the guy for the football."
Iowa State cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat spent the last two years working closely with Porter. He said one of the biggest improvements that Porter made in his final college season was not panicking when the ball came towards him.
Poteat mentioned that Porter would overthink certain things. But last season, he noticed Porter played freely with more confidence.
"A year ago, he would be in position but wasn't making those plays that he made this year," Poteat, who played 10 seasons in the NFL, told ESPN. "We worked on being in the right position and executing the play, whether it was a pass breakup or a takeaway. I feel like he did a good job with that."
Heacock agrees with Carroll in comparing Porter with Sherman. Porter, however, likened himself to Seattle's Riq Woolen, who played under Carroll for two seasons. The 6-4 cornerback has 41 pass breakups in three seasons and was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2022.
"I think athletically, I fit a little bit more Tariq than Richard Sherman," Porter said. "But just looking to take all the coaching I can to get to the level of those guys."
Porter said the biggest learning curve during his transition to cornerback was technique. He feels like he's in a good spot now, but understands there's more learning to do.
Indeed, Porter's starting reps are thin compared to other cornerbacks in his draft class. Still, he hopes to make an immediate impact, and the Raiders' depth at cornerback might provide him an opportunity to do so.
Las Vegas lost two starting cornerbacks this offseason, Nate Hobbs -- now with the Green Bay Packers -- and Jack Jones, who was released in April. Even though the Raiders signed Eric Stokes, that doesn't guarantee him a starting role.
"[I'll] have to work and earn that opportunity. But it's exciting for me to be put in this position to have that instant contribution on the defensive side," Porter said.
Whether Porter has significant reps at cornerback or not, it's expected for him to have some kind of impact as a rookie. The Raiders are thrilled about the value he can provide on special teams.
Porter had five blocked kicks (four punts and one field goal attempt) at Iowa State. He is one of six known players in school history with three or more blocked kicks.
"I know the special teams coaches are excited too," Raiders general manager John Spytek said. "They see him as being a good gunner. And I've already heard from [punter] AJ Cole, too. He's going to be a lot better this year because he's got this guy."
Carroll has wasted time instilling his philosophies into the Raiders' organization. Drafting Porter was a reflection of that.
"His ceiling is unlimited," Heacock said.