Oakland Raiders: 17 burning questions heading into the 2018 season

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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: Matt Forte No. 22 of the New York Jets tries to get away from Gareon Conley No. 22 and Cory James No. 57 of the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Can Gareon Conley be a true CB1?

During the 2017 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders made Gareon Conley their first round pick. A stud cornerback during his time at Ohio State, Conley had some off-the-field issues come up before the draft, and that was the main reason he was not picked within the top ten picks.

During his rookie season, Conley did very little to show why the team selected him in the first round the previous April. He struggled to stay healthy, and that really hindered any chance he could have had to be a productive player in year one.

This offseason, the Raiders made moves to make sure Conley would be their top corner in 2018, getting rid of Sean Smith and David Amerson, while seeing T.J. Carrie leave for Cleveland. They did bring in the talented Rashaan Melvin to start alongside Conley, but this is his unit to lead for sure in year two.

Does Conley have the physical gifts to be a shutdown cornerback? All returns during OTAs would show that he can be one of the best corners the Raiders have had in a long time, and if he can stay healthy, the cornerback position could actually be a strength for the team in 2018.

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