Optimism certainly hasn't been hard to come by this offseason for Las Vegas Raiders fans or those in the building. With practically a brand-new coaching staff, a potential solution at quarterback and young talent throughout the roster, only a staunch pessimist wouldn't be feeling at least a little hope.
Perhaps no position group embodies this idea more than the secondary, which is comprised of youth galore. Promising players, but not much proven. Of the eight or so who are locks on the roster, five of them have been drafted in the last two years, and only one of them is older than 28.
It will be important, then, for those veteran players to bring their best and show the inexperienced players the ropes. Safety Jeremy Chinn is undeniably a great example for these youngsters, but he still needs to improve in a key area at training camp.
If he does, it will steady a sizable concern on the back end of the defense.
Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn must improve in pass coverage
Chinn, for all of the good things he provided for a struggling Raiders defense during the 2025 NFL season, struggled in pass coverage somewhat frequently. This is not to say that he was a trainwreck like other defensive backs in Las Vegas last year, but he definitely has some room to improve.
At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds with great speed and athleticism, Chinn can match up with anyone in the league, physically speaking. Because of this, he commonly covered great tight ends or wide receivers in the slot, as well as skilled pass-catching running backs. And he took his tumbles.
Outside of a five-game stretch from Week 10 to Week 14, according to Pro Football Focus, Chinn turned in no above-average grades in coverage. He was around average for a few, but in six contests, he was deemed a negative against the pass, and his overall numbers didn't look great, either.
In 15 games, Chinn was targeted 49 times and gave up 38 receptions for 339 yards and seven touchdowns. That means opposing quarterbacks completed 77.6% of their passes when targeting Chinn for a passer rating of 135.1, which is downright elite. He also gave up 201 yards after the catch.
Again, Chinn provides a lot of positives for the Raiders' defense. He is a very good run defender, a sure tackler, his versatility keeps opposing offenses guessing, and Chinn appears to be a good leader who has a solid rapport with his teammates. None of that can really be refuted.
And perhaps some of his struggles can be attributed to an overall poor defensive environment last year. It stands to reason that he was tasked with more or was asked to play a bit outside himself to patch up some of the other glaring issues on Las Vegas' defense.
Ideally, Rob Leonard can have this group humming, and he will ask players to do what they are good at. Chinn's skill set is an ideal fit in Leonard's system, that is, if he models it after Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald's, as many expect him to.
But if Chinn wants to take the next step as a player, in a contract year, no less, then he just has to improve his coverage chops. At the very least, he needs to cinch things up near the goal line and not give up another seven touchdowns, as those weigh heavily on him and an entire defense.
With a full offseason to work on his game and acclimate to a new and improved system, Chinn should enter camp ready to quell this concern. The Raiders badly need him to as well, as they have no sure options behind him, and a rookie in Treydan Stukes will be playing alongside him.
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