Revamped position group for the Raiders means the team slides in the AFC West rankings
We’re wrapping up Silver and Black Pride’s AFC West position rankings with a pretty deep position group in the division: safety.
Granted, the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster has a lot of question marks on the backend of the defense. Last year’s Week 1 starting safeties, Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps, are gone. As a result, free-agent addition Jeremy Chinn and 2024 riser Isaiah Pola-Mao are expected to take over in the starting lineup.
So, with the reshuffling at safety, do the Raiders have a top-five player in the division?
1. Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
2024 Stats: 93 tackles, 10 TFL, 1 INT, 7 PDs, 5.5 sacks
It’s hard to argue that James isn’t the top safety in the AFC West, seeing as he’s widely regarded as the best player at the position in the entire NFL. The four-time Pro Bowler didn’t have 100 tackles for the first time since 2020, when he missed the season with a knee injury, but he was still very disruptive with career highs in TFLs and sacks. James also finished the 2024 regular season with an 80.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, the seventh-highest mark among NFL safeties.
2. Brandon Jones, Denver Broncos
2024 Stats: 115 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 INTs, 10 PDs
Jones’ inclusion and standing on this list might surprise people because he doesn’t have much name recognition, but he is coming off a career year. The 2024 free-agent signing posted career highs in tackles, interceptions and passes defended, helping him earn the third-highest PFF grade (86.1) at the position. Additionally, his 61.8 passer rating when targeted was sixth best among the league’s safeties. The 27-year-old is an ascending player and could end up taking over the No. 1 spot with another strong campaign this fall.
3. Talanoa Hufanga, Denver Broncos
2024 Stats: 38 tackles, 2 TFLs
Hufanga is a classic “when healthy” type of player, meaning he’s been good on the field but has struggled to stay on it. For example, he’s missed 17 games in the last two seasons combined and 19 games during his four-year career, but the former 49er was a first-team All-Pro in the lone campaign he played in all 17 contests (2022). Hufanga can be one of the better run-defending safeties in the league, owning a 5.2 ‘run stop’ percentage last season per PFF. Additionally, he had seven picks to go along with 12 PDs in 2022 and 2023 combined. That gives him plenty of potential to make an impact in Denver this fall, but again, it’s a matter of whether he can stay healthy.
4. Alohi Gilman, Los Angeles Chargers
2024 Stats: 50 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PDs, 1 sack
After a career year in 2023, Gilman saw a dip in his production while battling injuries and missing six games last season. Still, he surrendered just 12 completions on 20 targets and 156 yards in coverage while recording a 15 percent forced incompletion rate a year ago, per PFF. The latter was tied for 17th among the league’s safeties, and he ranked tied for 11th at a 21 percent rate two years ago. The impending free agent does a good job patrolling the backend of Los Angeles’ defense and is a player to keep tabs on this fall.
5. Jeremy Chinn, Las Vegas Raiders
2024 Stats: 117 tackles, 7 TFLs, 1 INT, 5 PDs, 2 sacks
Chinn managed to salvage his career last season, signing a one-year, $4.1 million contract with the Washington Commanders during the offseason and proving to be a valuable run defender in the box. He ranked sixth among the league’s safeties with 20 ‘defensive stops’ against the run, per PFF, helping him log a career high in TFLs and the most tackles he’s had since his rookie season. The biggest questions and why Chinn is at the bottom of the list are how well the sixth-year pro can hold up in coverage, and if he can stay healthy. Those were the 2020 second-round pick’s biggest issues with the Carolina Panthers.
Honorable Mentions: Elijah Molden (LAC), Jaden Hicks (KC), Bryan Cook (KC), Isaiah Pola-Mao (LV)