With the draft weeks away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ safety position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Starters: Tre’von Moehrig, Marcus Epps
Backups: Isaiah Pola-Mao, Chris Smith II, Jaydon Grant, Tyreque Jones
No position on this team was held down more than the safety position was by Moehrig and Epps. Both started every single game and did their jobs well. Moehrig is a former second-round pick by the Raiders, and Epps was one of their priority free-agent additions last offseason.
Behind Moehrig and Epps, they had some decent depth in the form of Isaiah Pola-Mao and fifth-round rookie Chris Smith II. Pola-Mao impressed whenever he stepped on the field and though Smith didn’t see much time on defense, he was highly thought of coming out of Georgia, so they are hoping he improves heading into his second year.
Condition: Stable
Safety, in general, is seeing a drastic shift in value across the league, much like running back in recent years. Gone are the days when every team felt they needed a dominant presence on the field at safety, making the Raiders’ starting duo at or above the new league standard.