Who starts alongside Daryl Worley for the Oakland Raiders moving forward?

Trayvon Mullen

The rookie is the favorite to replace the aforementioned Conley. Mullen is the prototypical cornerback for Guenther’s system which is part of the reason the Raiders drafted him. The Clemson product excels in zone coverage, is a sure tackler and at 6’2″, he possesses the height which the coaching staff covets.

As with every rookie, Mullen needs to prove his collegiate success and athletic potential translates well to the big stage. With limited playing time the former national champion hasn’t performed well, surrendering a passer rating of 134.6, a completion percentage of 80 and one touchdown when targeted on the year. More repetitions should help Mullen with his transition to the NFL, and hopefully that leads to more production because the team needs more from its corners.

Nevin Lawson

If the Gruden 2.0 era has taught fans anything, it’s the coach like his veteran players. In his last three years with the Detroit Lions, Lawson started every game he played in. Given “Chucky’s” affinity towards veteran players, and the corner’s reputation as a consistent starter, the former Lion could be the team’s immediate replacement for Conley.

After serving a four-game suspension to start the season, Lawson hasn’t played a down on defense for Oakland. The lack of playing time is likely a result of his performance during the preseason, when he posted one of the lowest Pro Football Focus grades on the team’s defense. With one less body, the Silver and Black will likely be forced to put Lawson on the field, and hopefully he can put the preseason behind him.

Keisean Nixon

The polar opposite of Nevin Lawson, is Keisean Nixon. As an undrafted rookie free agent, obviously Nixon doesn’t have a lot of experience in the league, however, becoming a preseason standout allowed him to make the roster.

In the games that don’t count, the South Carolina product allowed a completion percentage of 33.3 and passer rating of 42.4 when targeted giving fans and the coaching staff a reason to believe in him. Now the question is, can Nixon transform from preseason hero to diamond in the rough? He has an opportunity to prove the latter.

Isaiah Johnson

Technically this year’s fourth-round pick in on injured reserve and isn’t on the roster. However, Johnson began practicing with the team recently, and can return to game action as early as next week.

As with most mid to late round draft picks, the former Houston Cougar is more of a project than finished product. He entered college as a wide receiver and didn’t switch to the other side of the ball until his redshirt junior year. Johnson’s lack of experience at the position means it will take some time to get his fundamentals up to the NFL standard.

If push comes to shove, the Raiders might have to have throw the rookie into the deep end and see if he can swim. Hopefully he is a quick learner, and can at least can mix into the team’s cornerback rotation.