Safeties who match the Las Vegas Raiders needs in Draft and Free Agency
By BD Williams
The Las Vegas Raiders defense will undergo an overhaul this off-season, installing new Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 heavy system. The type of players required to run this defense will necessitate moves being made across the defensive line and in the secondary, namely the safety position.
Jon Gruden’s recent comments during his interview with Chris Collinsworth and Richard Sherman suggest that Johnathan Abram will be a box safety in Bradley’s scheme. That leaves the free safety position up in the air.
With Erik Harris slated to enter free agency, Jeff Heath and Rashaun Gaulden are the only two other safeties currently rostered by the Raiders entering the 2021 free agency period.
Heath is a career strong safety and dime linebacker who made his hay in Dallas with strong play in the box. He did make some great plays in coverage for the Raiders in Paul Guenther’s 2 high safety looks, however the range and play-making ability required from a single high safety just-doesn’t play to his strengths.
Gaulden, meanwhile, is a former third-round pick out of the University of Tennesee who has bounced around the NFL in his young career. The Raiders signed him to their practice squad late in 2020, and he was only active on special teams for Week 15 and Week 16 of last season.
Needless to say, the safety position needs to be addressed this off-season, and the Raiders might need to double-dip at this position in Free Agency and the Draft. Here are a few names of players who fit the role of a single-high deep safety.