Oakland Raiders: Secondary needs all hands on deck

The Oakland Raiders’ top two draft picks may miss the preseason finale and one could sit out for the regular-season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

On Tuesday, the Oakland Raiders witnessed Gareon Conley return to practice for the first time since mid-June:

The first-round pick suffered a shin injury, which kept him on the sideline longer than expected.

Here’s the bad news, second-round pick Obi Melifonwu didn’t practice after he played in Saturday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, per San Francisco Chronicle reporter Vic Tafur:

Head coach Jack Del Rio doesn’t talk about injuries during the preseason, and he’s not obligated to do so. However, it’s clear the Raiders will handle their top rookies with caution. The team may have decided to keep Melifonwu out to err on the safe side, but it’s never a good thing to see a rookie missing reps on the practice field.

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As for Conley, he came off the physically unable to perform list, but NBCS Bay Area reporters Scott Bair and Fallon Smith Christopher don’t expect him to play in the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks. It’s smart to keep the first-rounder out of action to avoid re-aggravating his shin injury while second- and third-stringers play at full speed for their livelihood as NFL players.

When Melifonwu returned to practice before the Los Angeles Rams game, he suited up but didn’t play a single snap. If Conley dresses for Thursday’s game, he may see 10-15 snaps. In the bigger picture, the Raiders want their top two picks to take the field against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 on Sept. 10.

Both rookies will have less than approximately two weeks to heal and prepare for their first opponent in regular-season action. Don’t expect either player to immediately upgrade the Raiders defense in their first taste of action against starting offenses.

Melifonwu only played 22 snaps against the Cowboys, per Bair. If he’s available to play against the Seahawks, you can expect the same workload. As for Conley, the Raiders may focus more so on keeping him healthy for the Titans.

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The Raiders secondary has struggled through the preseason. San Jose Mercury News reporter Jerry McDonald tallied the yards and touchdowns allowed in the first halves of exhibition games.

"In the first halves of three exhibition games, quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Jared Goff and Prescott were a combined 42 for 57 passing for 424 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Raiders have given up 37 first downs during that time."

For the most part, teams run basic schemes during exhibition play, but it’s not an encouraging sign when your top three cornerbacks have their own separate issues going into the regular-season opener.

Sean Smith will fight two felony assault charges, David Amerson suffered a concussion during the Cowboys game, per Bair, and T.J. Carrie has struggled in his overall play.

Next: Raiders vs Seahawks: 3 Bold predictions for Preseason Week 4

Conley and Melifonwu need the reps at practice and a clean bill of health to jumpstart their development as pros. The Raiders secondary must have all hands on deck in 2017.