Raiders' New Look Secondary Taking Shape

The Silver and Black made a lot of different moves this offseason to set up their team for success next season. One area of their team that will have a new look is the defense in the secondary. The Raiders will have a lot of new faces and will be looking to get new players in who have a lot of talent. The Raiders lost a lot of key pieces on defense, but they replaced them with good talent as well.

One safety that will lead the way for the team next season is Isaiah Pola-Mao. He got his opportunity last season, and he did not look back. He looked like the real deal on every down he played. And that is why the team gave him an extension this offseason. The Raiders also went on to get veteran safety Jeremy Chinn, who will bring leadership to the defensive backs position as well.

It will look different for the Raiders next season but it will be a defense that will play hard.

“When his helmet comes on, he kind of flips that switch,” Pola-Mao said of Chinn. “He goes in that mode where he’s locked in. Having him on the field, it kind of puts me at ease because I know he’s locked in and knows what he’s doing.”

“He’s very sure of himself because he puts in the work,” defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said last week. “Self-confidence comes from preparation; it’s not a self-esteem thing or self-talk thing. When you’re prepared, you’re really, really confident. That’s what I see from him.”

“I want to earn that starting role,” Pola-Mao added. “Last year, I was kind of shoved into that role by default. … I want to earn the trust of the guys and the coaches. This is a new defense, so really, nothing last year matters. It’s a new start for me.”

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