Raiders 53-man roster projection after preseason opener

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OAKLAND, CA – SEPTEMBER 17: KarlJoseph No. 42 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates after sacking the quarterback and recovering a fumble against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of their NFL football game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Oakland, California. The Raiders won the game 45-20. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Safety (4): Karl Joseph, Reggie Nelson, Marcus Gilchrist, Erik Harris

Karl Joseph and Reggie Nelson got the start at safety against the Lions, much like they did all last season for one of the worst secondaries in football. While Joseph and Nelson are certain to make the team, there are players battling them for the starting spots, and the expectation is the team will carry four safeties into the regular season.

Marcus Gilchrist is currently nursing a foot injury, and did not play on Friday, or practice on Monday. His versatility is going to prove huge for this secondary in 2018, so there is no way he does not make the 53-man roster if he is healthy enough to go when the preseason ends.

The final safety I like right now is Erik Harris, who is just playing with such passion this summer. Gruden seems to love him too, and I have no issue with him being the fourth safety, and yes, that means Obi Melifonwu does not make the team out of camp.

dark. Next. Best case scenario for the Oakland Raiders in 2018

The good thing about this Raiders roster is that there is a bunch of depth at nearly every position group. We saw some great signs during the team’s win against Detroit on Friday night, but things will start getting clearer in the coming weeks, and it starts Saturday in Los Angeles.

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