Jun 11, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao (20) speaks to the media during Las Vegas Raiders Minicamp at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Raiders' Safety Position in Good Shape Heading into Season

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are getting set to host the San Francisco 49ers this week at Allegiant Stadium in their second preseason game. This game is an important one for the Raiders. They want to see their first team players on both sides of the ball do a better job of executing. That is something you have to watch out for. If they get off to a good start, that is going to go a long way heading into the new season.

One position the Raiders are going to be looking closely at is the safety position. The Silver and Black soon will have to cut down their roster size and then make their final 53-man roster. The Raiders are looking at the safety position because they want to make sure they have the best two back there controlling the back end of the defense. That is one position people thought was going to be a weak point for this team, but they have looked way better than most had them looking.

We know that safety Isaiah Pola-Mao will be one starting safeties on the Raiders' defense. The team will now look to figure out who is going to play alongside him this season. The Raiders have brought in a couple of safeties to compete for that spot. They always have a couple of safeties from last season's team who have been playing well as well. It is going to be interesting to see which players made the safety group, but that is one position the Raiders are looking good at.

Our Hondo Carpenter talked about what safeties he has making the roster on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

Raiders Safety Position

"Then we go to the safety position. Isaiah Pola-Mao has had a great camp; he has looked the part, safe," said Carpenter. "Chris Smith II, great camp. Boy, has he played well. It is so great seeing Chris Smith playing like Chris Smith. Then Jeremy Chinn. Love Chinn. Then the last one I got is Thomas Harper. I think he is there for now. I think this is still a wide-open battle. I think Harper is there right now, I think he has the edge, and if they were doing the roster today, I think we would make it."