Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. (32) walks off the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Raiders' Lonnie Johnson Jr Has Shot at Key Role

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated May 12, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to get things going in the right direction in 2025. The big question for the Raiders is how the defense will look next season. The Silver and Black had a lot of key players leave in free agency this offseason.

But the Raiders also made a couple of moves to get their own free agent signings to take their place. New head coach Pete Carroll and new general manager John Spytek made the decision not to overpay players who were looking for new contracts, and instead signed players that they believe will help the team win more games next season and fix the things they are trying to do in Las Vegas.

The safety position for the Raiders is going to be interesting to see. The Raiders are going with Isaiah Pola-Mao to lead the way in the secondary at the safety position.

The Raiders lost Tre'Von Moehrig in free agency. But Pola-Mao showed last season that he is ready to take the next step to be a top safety in the league. The team also brought in veteran safety Jeremy Chinn to take the other safety position.

The good news for the Raiders is that defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has done a great job in getting all his defensive players ready, and they have found success when they take the field. Graham will look to do that again with the safeties in 2025.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about the third safety for the Raiders, Lonnie Johnson Jr. on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"If I had to pick the next guy that I expect to make the Raiders roster, it is going to be Lonnie Johnson," said Carpenter. "Comes over as a free agent ... You will not find anybody in the NFL with a bad word to same about this gentleman, as a person, but he has underproduced as a safety. Been a terrific special teamer, but has underproduced as a safety."

"However, if you are going to play via backup safety in the NFL, you've got to produce on special teams. And he is not just a good special-teams player, he is a very elite special-teams player. So this was a really good get by the Raiders."