The Las Vegas Raiders‘ secondary was far from their biggest issue last season, but they did need to add some players. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao has shown brilliant flashes at times.
He started all 17 games in 2025, had 92 combined tackles, two interceptions and four tackles for loss. He’s also an athletic marvel, who is 6-foot-4 and runs a 4.51 40-yard dash. However, the Raiders used a second-round pick on safety Treydan Stukes. He’s a versatile player, but it seems most likely that he stays at safety.
That could be bad news for Pola-Mao. ESPN’s Ben Solak listed the safety as one of the veterans who are on the hot seat after the draft.
“Pola-Mao played more than 1,000 defensive snaps for the Raiders last season, and while defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has left for Pittsburgh, new coordinator Rob Leonard is an internal promotion,” Solak wrote. “It’s rare to see a player used that heavily get completely benched for a rookie — and to be clear, I don’t think that will happen.
“But Pola-Mao played 861 snaps at a safety alignment last season via NFL Next Gen Stats, largely because the role of versatile box player was already occupied by Jeremy Chinn. Second-round pick Treydan Stukes played a ton of positions in college, but he finished his career at Arizona as a safety — and he was announced by the Raiders as a safety when he signed his contract. He can play the slot, but his body type and play style translates best to safety — specifically a deep middle safety. That’s Pola-Mao’s old job.”
Raiders Likely to Use 3 Safeties
The Raiders signed Pola-Mao as an undrafted free agent in 2022, so he’s already exceeded expectations. He’s on an expiring contract, so the team could still have plans for him this season while they bring Stukes along slowly.
Solak thinks the Raiders could utilize three safeties throughout the season.
“I think the Raiders will end up in some sort of three-safety rotation, depending on how much time Stukes plays at nickel (with Taron Johnson also vying for snaps) and how often Chinn is at linebacker (now that Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean are in town),” Solak wrote. “Put simply, there are a ton of snaps up for grabs in what was a poor safeties room last season, and Stukes might just be the best player in that group already. He’s certainly the future, as both Pola-Mao and Chinn are rising free agents. Stukes might lead the position in snaps by the end of the season.”
Raiders Defensive Backfield Could Be Very Good
The Raiders have to feel great about their defensive backfield after the draft. The team has dependable veterans like Eric Stokes, Taron Johnson and Jeremy Chinn to go with exciting young players like Darien Porter, Jermod McCoy and Stukes.
Now, there’s a chance that some of the young players won’t work out, which would be a problem, but if two or three of them hit, the Raiders will be set up for success for a long time. It’ll be interesting to see who the starters are coming out of training camp.
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