Oakland Raiders: 5 defensive back targets in 2018 NFL free agency

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 29: Strong safety Kemal Ishmael No. 36 of the Atlanta Falcons recovers a fumble against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on October 29, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Atlanta Falcons won 25-20. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images) /

. SS. Atlanta Falcons. Kemal Ishmael. 4. player. 44

The Raiders have struggled in the defensive backfield due to a lack of depth and little versatility. No, this will not be a sexy acquisition, but Atlanta Falcons safety Kemal Ishmael has been an excellent Swiss army knife for the Dirty Birds the last few years.

He has bulked up to be more of a STAR/dime linebacker in 2017. Though he doesn’t start in Dan Quinn’s Falcons defense, Ishmael is a playmaker in the back-end of the defense for sure. He may not be the ideal safety that the Raiders need to force some interceptions, but Ishmael does have good hands, not to mention he is physical in run defense.

Since Quinn took over in Atlanta in 2015, Ishmael has been a great plug-in and play guy for the Falcons. His depth is valued and could play potentially three positions in an NFL defense. No, Ishmael is not a guy that you will want to play a ton of snaps in a game, but he will surely make the most of them.

Atlanta was able to keep much of its NFC Champion roster intact from a year ago. However, we have to believe that the Falcons might lose a guy or two from this young defense in free agency. Atlanta really likes Ishmael, but Oakland could pay slightly more to get him on their defense for 2018. Guenther could absolutely carve out a meaningful role for the guy.

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