The 2018 season was rough for the Raiders not only in the win column but also for many individual players. Due to their lack of success, not a single Raider was named to the initial Pro Bowl roster.
However, 2019’s team is loaded with more talent, and the team is poised to challenge for a playoff spot. But to do so, they are going to need Pro Bowl-caliber seasons out of the likes of Derek Carr, Antonio Brown and Gabe Jackson.
But what players could surprise us all this year and make that next step from solid starter to first-time Pro Bowler? Below are four players who will make their first Pro Bowl in 2019.
RT Trent Brown
After a fantastic one-year stop in New England, the Oakland Raiders made former 49er Trent Brown the highest-paid tackle in the NFL despite never making a Pro Bowl. But that soon could change.
Typically, offensive linemen make their first Pro Bowl one year after their best season. For Brown, he is known recognized as one of the best tackles in the league, and it won’t take long for the rest of the football world to catch up.
Playing in Oakland on the right side will give him a chance to go against some of the league’s best pass-rushers, such as Von Miller, Melvin Ingram and Frank Clark and that should help him become a household name. Look for Brown to make the Pro Bowl easily in 2019.
CB Gareon Conley
At the midway point of the 2018 season, it wasn’t a lock that Gareon Conley was going to remain on the Raiders’ roster. There was certainly a lot of buzz that the former first-round pick could be traded during the season or shortly after the year concluded.
But that did not happen, and the Oakland Raiders are in a much better spot as a franchise after deciding not to trade him. In the second half of the season, Conley quickly became one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league. He became the player the team envisioned when they drafted him and so much more.
At just 24-years old, Conley is in a position to have an All-Pro season in 2019. The team has improved its pass-rush as well as their secondary, adding the likes of Lamarcus Joyner, Trayvon Mullen, and Johnathan Abram. It won’t be a surprise at all if Conley winds up becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league by the end of the 2019 season.
FS Lamarcus Joyner
It’s tough to believe that Lamarcus Joyner has not made a Pro Bowl during his five-year career with the Rams. He’s been arguably the best nickel back in all of football.
Joyner left Los Angeles to become the Raiders’ highest-paid defensive back. In Oakland, he could get the chance to defend the likes of Emmanuel Sanders, Tyreek Hill, and Keenan Allen.
With the Raiders playing so many nationally televised games this season, look for Joyner to quickly become a fan-favorite due to his versatility and playmaking skills. It won’t be long before Joyner makes the first Pro Bowl of his career.
DT Maurice Hurst
If it wasn’t for a late-season injury, Raiders’ defensive tackle Maurice Hurst might have already been named to the Pro Bowl. As a rookie, he tallied 31 tackles, four sacks and three pass deflections in just 10 starts. He quickly became the Raiders’ best defensive player and proved draft evaluators right as he showed he was a first-round talent on tape.
Entering 2019, Hurst is healthy, and the Raiders have added more help on the defensive line. With Clelin Ferrell and Arden Key hopefully getting more attention at defensive end, that could open up more double-teams for the former Michigan All-American.
If Hurst can stay healthy for a full 16 game season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him reach double-digit sacks. And if that is the case, he is a shoo-in to be named to the Pro Bowl after his second season in the NFL.
