Oakland Raiders: 8 Lessons From The 53-man Roster and Depth Chart

Nate Allen and Dan Williams return to the starting lineup

At one point, some questioned if Williams or Allen would make the roster. Now, the 2015 key free agency signings resume their role as incumbent starters.

Williams had to beat out second-round pick Jihad Ward on the inside. Ward will bounce around the entire defensive line, but Williams will start in base defense. Ward can better utilize his length and speed as the starter on the edge, anyways.

As for Allen, he had to reclaim the starting strong safety position from No. 14 pick Karl Joseph.

Joseph commented on losing the starting job:

“I didn’t expect anything given to me,” Joseph told Bay Area News Group. “I’ve just got to keep learning, keep getting better and keep growing as a player and everything else will fall in its place. I have a lot of confidence in myself and I have no doubt in myself that I’ll get my spot back.”

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see which safety plays the most on Sunday.

Either way, Oakland will not need to rush Joseph back after tearing an ACL at West Virginia less than a year ago thanks to Allen playing well.

The SIlver and Black will need both veterans to consistently perform, if they can take the next step.

Next: The Secondary