The Las Vegas Raiders‘ defense is going to be a very interesting unit this season. They were solid last season, but the team has spent big on defensive players this offseason.
One of the weaker position groups for the Raiders last season was safety. Isaiah Pola-Mao has shown some signs and is an elite athlete, but hasn’t been consistent enough to have the starting spot locked down.
It’s not going to help that the Raiders used a second-round pick on former Arizona State safety Treydan Stukes. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden listed Stukes as a candidate to be an instant impact player as a rookie.
“Out of all the rookies, Stukes might have the clearest path to be an opening week starter. Las Vegas’ depth at safety was incredibly thin ahead of the draft,” McFadden wrote. “On top of that, Stukes can play deep middle safety, a role that belonged to Isaiah Pola-Mao last season, but he was inconsistent.
“In 559 coverage snaps, Pola-Mao allowed a completion rate of 70%. Stukes’ ball skills and speed, which allow him to keep up with wide receivers, make him better suited to play in the back end. Stukes had four interceptions and allowed a completion rate of 26.1% on 23 targets as the primary defender for Arizona last season.”
Could Pola-Mao Get Cut?
Pola-Mao can’t be feeling great about his spots on the roster. The Raiders drafted two safeties. Pola-Mao only has a $750,000 dead cap hit if he’s cut. That’s not enough money to stop the team from cutting him outright if he’s being outplayed.
What could help him is that Stukes can also play slot cornerback.
“Stukes’ experience at nickel will also allow defensive coordinator Rob Leonard to move him around the field, possibly splitting reps with veteran cornerback Taron Johnson,” McFadden wrote. “Stukes is a player to keep an eye on from now to training camp, as it shouldn’t be too hard for him to stand out among the rest of the safeties.”
Regardless, Pola-Mao needs to play well in training camp. If not, he could easily be an early roster casualty.
Stukes Willing to Play Anywhere on Defense
The exciting thing about Stukes is his versatility. He has experience playing every spot in the secondary. He can even play outside cornerback if he needs to. He’s willing to do whatever the team needs him to do to win.
“I’m willing to play any of them. … I’ve got some good reps at pretty much every defensive back position,” Stukes told reporters after getting drafted. “So, wherever the coaches want me, whatever the coaches see me fitting best, I’m willing to do, and whatever I can play to help the team win games, that’s where I’m at.”
Pola-Mao taking a step forward this year would be great for the Raiders, as it would allow them to get more creative with Stukes. The team is getting very young in the secondary, so it’s a group that has a ton of potential. Stukes is going to be an important piece going forward.
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