The Raiders addressed their defensive secondary again Friday night, selecting Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu with the 56th pick in the second round. Melifonwu has size (6-foot-3, 224 pounds) and speed (4.40 40-yard dash) and can also play a little linebacker on passing downs.
Melifonwu teams with first-round pick (and cornerback) Gareon Conley to give the Raiders secondary another jolt of youth, as safety Karl Joseph was the team’s first-round pick last year. Veteran Reggie Nelson was the other starting safety last season.
Melifonwu, who also had an NFL combine-best 44-inch vertical jump, had a team-high 128 tackles and four interceptions last season.