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The Oakland Raiders made a bunch of free-agent signings and trades to bolster their roster on both sides of the ball this offseason, but one area in which the Raiders will be relying on homegrown talent is at safety.
Oakland boasts a pair of first-round talents at safety, with 2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph manning one of the safety spots and 2019 first-rounder Johnathan Abram holding down the other.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is expecting big things from those two this year.
“Hopefully, Karl Joseph and John Abram are aggressive safeties. That’s why we took them both in the first round,” Gruden told reporters, via the Raiders' YouTube account. “We’re going to try to use them as playmakers on every down.”
Joseph is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he played 13 games and registered 48 tackles, a couple of sacks, and an interception.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at West Virginia, was selected by Oakland with the 14th overall pick three years ago. He went on to appear in 12 contests during his rookie year, tallying 60 tackles and a pick.
Joseph then proceeded to participate in 15 games in 2017, recording 78 tackles, a sack, and an interception.
Meanwhile, Abram attended Mississippi State and was chosen 27th overall with one of the Raiders' three first-round selections this past April. He enjoyed a terrific senior campaign, racking up 99 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and a couple of picks.
The Raiders won just four games this past season and have made the playoffs just once since last making it to the Super Bowl back in 2002-03.
