The Raiders have spent a lot of draft picks in recent years fixing their secondary, and none of them have really panned out. Last year, the team not only spent a first round pick on the defensive backfield, but also a second round pick.
Both cornerback Gareon Conley and safety Obi Melifonwu failed to make an impact during their rookie season, and both will be counted on to step up in 2018.
When it comes to Guenther’s scheme on defense, he likes to run a lot of Cover 2 and 4. That means he needs some excellent athletes at the safety position, and that could be an area the Raiders look to target in the first round in April.
During his time with the Florida State Seminoles, Derwin James proved to be one of the more versatile defensive backs in all of college football. Not only did he stand out at safety, but he also was able to fill in at cornerback, and was actually the top return man in school history when he left.
He has the kind of athleticism that is hard to come by, and he would defineitely flourish in Guenther’s system. If the Raiders see Roquan Smith go early in round one, they may look to fix their safety issues, as Melifonwu is a question mark, and Reggie Nelson is not athletic enough to play in Guenther’s system at this point in his career.