Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn (11) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Raiders Have an Underrated Safety Duo

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have questions to answer on the defensive side of the ball.

Las Vegas’ defensive line could be one of the best units in the league if everyone is healthy, but the rest of the group leaves lots to be desired.

One area that poses some intrigue is the safety duo of Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao. The Raiders started Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps in Week 1 of the 2024 season, so this upcoming season will see a stark difference in safety play.

While we do not know what the Raiders will get from their new safeties in 2025, they are talented individual players, which is an encouraging start for Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham.

By the end of the 2025 season, Chinn and Pola-Mao could be among the most slept-on safety duos in the NFL.

Chinn left the Carolina Panthers and joined the Washington Commanders in 2024, having arguably the best season of his NFL career. He tied a career-high in tackles with 117, posted a career-high in tackles for loss with seven, and posted five forced fumbles and an interception.

He dealt with injuries in Carolina that limited his talents, but started all 17 games last season and was a key piece on the Commanders’ NFC Championship team. He will look to bring that winning mentality to the Silver and Black.

Chinn plays safety but has a linebacker skill set, making him a versatile chess piece for Graham’s defense. If they need some coverage help at linebacker, they can drop him closer to the line of scrimmage and let Pola-Mao patrol center field as a single-high safety.

Pola-Mao took over as the starter when Epps went down with a season-ending injury, playing the best football of his career. He posted a career-high 89 tackles, two for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles, and five passes defended.

Pola-Mao has just one interception in his NFL career, but with more opportunities to jump in front of passes, he should get his hands on a few more footballs this season.

Not many are talking about the Raiders’ safety duo, which is fine for now.

But by the end of this season, Chinn and Pola-Mao could become household names if they continue to play at high levels.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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