Oakland Raiders: Projected 53-man depth chart for 2019 before OTAs

Safety

Lamarcus Joyner, Johnathan Abram, Karl Joseph, Erik Harris (4)
Surprises: None
Notable Omissions: Curtis Riley

It’s straightforward at the safety position. As mentioned above, Joyner will become the primary nickelback. Team brass selected Abram with the 27th overall pick; he’s going to see a heavy workload — likely in a starting role.

Gruden talked about the decision to decline Joseph’s fifth-year option in an open media conference.

"It’s a big story for some people, but that does not mean that we do not want Karl with us and in the future. All that means is that we didn’t exercise the fifth-year option. If you really study the fifth-year option and what it entails, it entails a lot. It does not mean, by any means, that we do not want Karl Joseph as a captain or as a leader on this team, now or in the future."

The Raiders placed Joseph on the trade block before last year’s deadline, per Fox Sports’ NFL Insider Jay Glazer, so it’s possible he’s shopped again over the summer. For now, the three-year veteran lists as one of four safeties on the depth chart.

Harris put together a solid year in a reserve role, logging 36 solo tackles, seven passes breakups and two interceptions. He became one of Gruden’s favorites last offseason, which shows how much a good spring-summer showing can change a player’s outlook. The 29-year-old went from special teams ace to a consistent contributor on defense in one season.

If Joseph isn’t traded, Riley gets the ax. In 2018, he flashed his ball-tracking skills with the New York Giants, breaking up five passes and snagging four interceptions. On the flip side, he whiffed on 23 tackles, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The four safeties highlighted above have coverage skills in varying degrees with the ability to line up closer to the line of scrimmage; Riley is the odd man out because of his potential limitations as a tackler in the open field.