Oakland Raiders: Why Shalom Luani should see more snaps vs. Ravens

Heading into a crucial Week 5 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders rookie safety Shalom Luani needs to see more action.

As much as Oakland Raiders fans like safety Shalom Luani, it’s not a popularity contest. He earned praise through the offseason as an instinctive safety who flocks to the football. General manager Reggie McKenzie labeled him a football playing Jessie after the draft, via Raiders.com, and we quickly found out what he meant in the coming months.

The Washington State product sealed a spot on the 53-man roster with an interception in the final exhibition game against the Seattle Seahawks. Overall, however, Luani put together an impressive preseason with stops and quality coverage.

In fact, Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle noted that the rookie finished as the top safety in Oakland in numerous categories:

With safety Obi Melifonwu on injured reserve and two cornerbacks on the mend, the Raiders need an instinctive coverage defender against the Baltimore Ravens’ active tight ends.

Ben Watson and Nick Boyle have played at least 60 percent of defensive snaps in all four games. Furthermore, the duo combined for 162 passing plays for the 2017 season, per Pro Football Focus Elite.

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The Raiders have somewhat curtailed their issues with covering tight ends downfield and allow 52.1 yards per game to receivers at that position, which lists as the average across all defenses, per Football Outsiders.

However, the Ravens tight ends pose a viable threat on Sunday. Boyle caught all five targets in his previous outing. Watson leads the team with 146 receiving yards. Both pass-catchers will put significant pressure on the cover men down the seam and across the field.

As cornerbacks David Amerson (concussion) and Gareon Conley (shin) work their way through injuries at practice, the team decided to bring in four defensive backs for tryouts, per Howard Balzer:

It’s still unclear whether or not Amerson and Conley suit up for Sunday’s game, but their absences would affect coverage in the nickel package. Expect T.J. Carrie, the primary slot defender, to move outside if both players sit out. Neither Dexter McDonald nor Antonio Hamilton played in the slot this season.

In a game, potentially without Amerson and Conley, it’s a perfect time to experiment with Luani in the big nickel package. His natural football instincts and coverage skill provide another solid layer of defense in pass defense against Boyle and Watson.

Before entering the league, Luani established a reputation as a playmaking cover safety at Washington State where he recorded eight interceptions through two seasons for the Cougars. He possesses the ability to the track the football and force takeaways, which the Raiders don’t have in interceptions.

Next: Oakland Raiders: 5 Key matchups vs. Ravens in Week 5

Initially, Melifonwu projected as the tight-end eraser, but his definitive eight weeks on injured reserve due to knee surgery opens an opportunity for Luani to play extra snaps in a necessary situation.

The seventh-rounder played his first two (and only) snaps on defense against the Denver Broncos in Week 4. Expect a significant increase in the upcoming matchup to neutralize the Ravens’ passing attack.