Las Vegas Raiders: Safety could end up being a strength in 2021
By Daniel Davis
The Las Vegas Raiders revamped their defense this offseason, and the safety spot could end up being a strength when all is said and done.
The Las Vegas Raiders have spent their offseason focusing on the defense, adding the likes of Yannick Ngakoue, Tre’Von Moehrig, Casey Hayward, and bringing back Karl Joseph to name a few. Despite drafting Alex Leatherwood in the first round, which many fans shook their head at, the Raiders front office made it a priority to shore up with the defensive backfield and the defensive front.
Tre’von Moehrig was a great pick, and the Raiders traded up to get him. The former TCU Horned Frog fell to the Raiders in the second round, where the team traded up to spot No. 43 to get him. Moehrig is a perfect fit for the Raiders defense, as he’s an excellent tackler and is going to fill a major void in their secondary.
During his career at TCU, he logged seven interceptions and five touchdowns, as well as an opposed passer rating of 54.7 when targeted. He also has a knack for the ball, breaking up 21 passes and only allowing 54% completion percentage and a less than 5% on deep passes.
Not only did they move up to draft Moehrig, but they also took Tyree Gillespie and Divine Deablo in subsequent rounds during up the safety position.
Safety could be a strength for the Raiders
Karl Joseph was also brought back, and when he left the franchise after the 2019 season, he was actually playing his best football since being drafted by the team in the first round in 2016. With Moehrig, KuJo, and Tyree Gillespie joining Johnathan Abram at the safety spot, the position group has been upgraded in a big way, and we could see an incredible improvement from this group as a whole.
Also noted is they brought in former ‘Legion of Boom’ coach Gus Bradley to run the defense as Paul Guenther was fired at the behest of the Las Vegas fan base. In 2021, Las Vegas has gone all-in on the secondary, and hopefully, these additions will help the team move on from a historically bad season last year and keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.