Will the secondary take another step forward?
During the 2018 NFL season, the Raiders got great contributions from a few faces in their secondary. Former first rounders Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley really stepped up, establishing themselves as legitimate starters, with Conley looking like one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL.
Heading into 2019, the Raiders did plenty to upgrade both the cornerback and safety positions, utilizing early draft picks, and some free agent money to do so. Lamarcus Joyner, a former safety with the Los Angeles Rams, was brought in to possibly be the team’s slot corner, while they used a first round pick on safety Johnathan Abram, and a second round pick on Trayvon Mullen.
When you add to that a fourth rounder in Isaiah Johnson, as well as the re-signing of Daryl Worley, this is a group that should be a strength in 2019. Erik Harris played very well last season, and Nevin Lawson is another free agent pickup to keep an eye on. Overall, there is enough depth here to combat the elite quarterbacks this team will face this season.