The Oakland Raiders have drafted three safeties in the past two offseasons, and the soon to be 34-year old Reggie Nelson has taken notice. As the elder statesman of a group, Nelson has taken the role of mentor, providing veteran leadership to a young secondary that includes Karl Joseph, Gareon Conley and Obi Melifonwu.
Going back to 2016, one of the biggest disappointments from the season was the poor play of the secondary. After a complete overhaul in the prior offseason with the additions of Sean Smith and Nelson, along with the extension of David Amerson and the draft selection of Karl Joseph, expectations were high.