No. 1: Safety

As it stands right now, the Raiders starting safeties are Reggie Nelson and Marcus Gilchrist. That is not a winning tandem, and it is far from a long-term solution at the position. The Raiders drafted Karl Joseph in the first round of the 2016 draft, but he has featured only sparingly in the first few weeks. That is not a good sign, obviously a new coaching staff is in town and he may just be slow to adapt to the new system, but it very concerning.

Even Erik Harris is getting playing time over Joseph. Show of hands for anyone who has heard that name before, I’ll wait.

Seriously, though, Nelson is beyond washed and needs to be replaced. Gilchrist has shown glimpses of his talent, but is not a world-beater. The Raiders need some youth at the position to bolster the unit moving forward.

Not to mention, both Nelson and Gilchrist will be unrestricted free agents in 2019. The cornerback position was upgraded, with Gareon Conley finally being healthy and Rashaan Melvin being added. But the safety help over the top has been lackluster.

To be competitive in the coming years, the Raiders must add to their safety corps. The Raiders defense has been atrocious in recent years, so it should come as no surprise that the two biggest needs are on that side of the ball. With four first-round picks in the next two seasons, surely these needs will be addressed.