There is a lot of young talent in the defensive backfield for the Oakland Raiders, but will they take the next step in their development in 2019?
The Oakland Raiders have has issues in their defensive backfield for years, but in 2019, all of their fortunes could change. This current regime has done a nice job prioritizing the secondary via the NFL Draft, as well as in free agency, and it could reap huge rewards for this defensive during the 2019 campaign.
Back in 2017, the Raiders drafted Gareon Conley, and after a year and a half of struggling, he finally proved himself to be a legitimate first-round talent last season. He will be expected to lead a cornerback group that is very young, but is also a group that has more talent than the organization has had in years.
Daryl Worley came over to the Raiders last season, and he played well at times, earning another year with the team. In the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Oakland used their pick on Trayvon Mullen, a guy who did not allow a single touchdown during his illustrious career at Clemson.
Those two guys will play huge roles at cornerback in 2019, as will Nick Nelson, the team’s fourth round pick from a year ago. Outside of Nelson, players like Nevin Lawson, Curtis Riley, and rookie Isaiah Johnson will all get an opportunity this summer to prove they belong in the rotation as well.
Lamarcus Joyner played safety with the Los Angeles Rams last season, and played it well, though he figures to be the Raiders nickel corner in 2019. Staying with the safeties, the Raiders have a punishing duo in Karl Joseph and rookie Johnathan Abram, two guys who love to come up and absolutely blast wideouts.
Erik Harris was a pleasant surprise at safety last season, and he figures to be a guy who will once again play a big role on this defense this upcoming season. In all, this is a group that will be a much better unit than the one in 2018, and that is a good thing, considering the Raiders play some top-flight quarterbacks this year.
The success of this defensive backfield will come down to very young players stepping up in a big way in 2019. We have seen it before, as was the case with Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Derwin James last season, so do not be surprised if this secondary is a strength for the Raiders this upcoming season.