The Raiders are going to spend most of their offseason trying to find ways to upgrade their defense. How they do so will be fascinating as this is the first year since 2018 where they have just one first-round pick and they will have little salary cap space to use in free agency.
It’s going to be critical that the Raiders prioritize their biggest needs on defense and utilize both free agency and the draft to fill those spots. But what is their biggest need on defense? Well, it depends on who you ask.
In a recent article by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, he ranked every team’s top need entering the offseason. For the Raiders, that is a free safety that can cover at an elite level. Here is a snippet of Moton’s thoughts on the position of need this offseason:
“With Trayvon Mullen, Damon Arnette and Johnathan Abram in the secondary, three projected starters selected in the last two drafts, the Raiders need a veteran presence on the back end to help strengthen their 26th-ranked pass defense.
Vegas can target multiple players who have the range to play single-high safety in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s scheme and the sticky coverage to force turnovers. The defense doesn’t have that player in Abram, a downhill thumper, or Erik Harris, who has an expiring contract.”
Moton mentions Justin Simmons of the Broncos as a possible free-agent candidate, but it’s likely that he returns to Denver via the franchise tag. He did offer other possible options, such as Marcus Maye or Marcus Williams. Both players have proven to be elite free safeties and would pair well with Abram.
Considering the 2021 draft is void of elite safety talent, don’t be surprised if the Raiders use free agency to fill that need. There are plenty of talented options that are likely to be available and several that would fit perfectly in Gus Bradley’s defense.
