One of the Raiders’ biggest offseason moves in 2019 was signing veteran defensive back Lamarcus Joyner. The thought process behind the move was that Joyner was one of the best safeties in the NFL, but also had the flexibility to play in the slot.
However, Joyner was forced to play almost exclusively as a slot defender last season as the team just didn’t have enough quality cornerback play. But that had some negative effects on Joyner’s play as he had one of the worst seasons of his career to date.
With the Raiders selecting Amik Robertson in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Robertson played mostly on the outside at Lousiana Tech, but he projects as a slot defender in the NFL due to his lack of size.
In a recent article by Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus, the site suggested that the selection of Robertson could allow Joyner to move back to his natural position of safety. Take a look at why they believe that might just be the best solution for all parties:
Robertson not only brings the physicality that GM Mike Mayock loves, but he also affords the Raiders the flexibility to move high-priced free-agent signing Lamarcus Joyner back to safety. Joyner was a disaster manning the slot for the Raiders last season, as he allowed a passer rating of 110.8 in his coverage and earned a PFF coverage grade of 42.8. The 5-foot-8, 187-pound Robertson is much more suited for that role with his instincts. He had 28 pass breakups and nine picks over the past two seasons for Louisiana Tech — the highest combined total of anyone in the country. That’s playmaking you just can’t coach.
Robertson was one of the best defensive backs in the country last season as he was named a first-team All-American. The former Lousiana Tech product should have no problem transitioning to the slot in the NFL and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he took that job in Week 1.
If that is the case, the Raiders could move Joyner back to free safety to pair him with Jonathan Abram. Together, that pairing makes a ton of sense and the Raiders would have sufficient depth behind them with Damarious Randall, Erik Harris and Jeff Heath.
Assuming that Robertson can live up to the hype, expect the Raiders to move Joyner back to his natural position of safety in 2020.
