Five Raiders storylines to follow as OTA’s begin
By Evan Groat
How quickly will this young secondary develop?
Reggie McKenzie has made it clear through the past two drafts that he is determined to fix the secondary issues that have plagued the team in recent years. After finishing towards the bottom of the league in total passing defense in consecutive years — 26th in 2015 and 24th in 2016 — the Raiders added two more rookie defensive backs who will be expected to contribute early on.
With 2016 first rounder Karl Joseph already in the mix, first and second round picks were used this year on Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley and Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu. I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but the Raiders have the makings of the Legion of Boom 2.0.
Gareon Conley’s off-field issues have been well documented in recent weeks, but there is no denying that Conley was a top 15 prospect before the accusations of rape. He has everything you look for in a starting cornerback, including size, length, and speed.
Conley has the ability to play in both man and zone coverage and displays the needed ball skills to challenge throws. I expect Conley to push for time as the nickel corner early in season, and if Sean Smith or David Amerson struggle as they did last season, we could see him in a starting role on the outside sooner rather than later.
The athletic freak known as Obi Melifonwu made a name for himself with outstanding combine numbers. This is a pick that the late great Al Davis would approve of. Obi is a 6’4″ 225 pound safety who ran 4.40 in the forty, displayed a 44″ vertical, and a recorded broad jump of 11’7″. NFL Network analyst and draft guru Mike Mayock had this to say about Obi:
"“He’s a genetic freak. I thought his tape was really solid. What I like is he’s a matchup player. His movement skills for his length, his ability to get in and out of breaks, his tackling, he’s got first-round talent all-day long.”"
As Mayock pointed out, Melifonwu will be used primarily as a matchup player against tight ends, a position that the Raiders have struggled to defend in recent years. One area I would like to see Obi improve upon is being a more physical player. I expect a man of his stature to be a tone setter on the back end and I didn’t see that on a consistent basis from his college tape.
With all that being said, how quickly this young secondary can develop and be effective could be the key to the season.