Oakland Raiders: Biggest Winners And Losers From Training Camp

Winner: Shalom Luani

It’s no secret that the Raiders need some help on the back end of their defense more than anything. Though Sean Smith and David Amerson bore the brunt of the ire of fans for the secondary’s poor play last year, Oakland’s safeties didn’t do much to help the cause either.

Although the stat sheet will tell you that veteran Reggie Nelson had five picks in 2016, what it doesn’t show is that he was out of position and got himself burned on countless others. He was more of a liability on the field and contributed mightily to one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

Unfortunately, Nelson was the best option Oakland had at safety.

Knowing there is a weakness back there, McKenzie drafted two safeties to help shore things up – Obi Melifonwu in the second round and Shalom Luani in the seventh. And thanks to Melifonwu’s injury and inactivity because of it, Luani has had an opportunity.

And thus far, he’s making the most of that opportunity and has made quite an impact.

Luani, out of Washington State, has shown that he has a knack for being in the right place. He’s shown that he has a nose for the ball – even having a great pass break-up in the endzone against the Rams – and has proven that he can be a thumper in run support.

Not highly regarded by most, Luani has shown that he can be a solid contributor to this team and has very likely done enough to earn a spot on the roster already. And may have done enough to merit some defensive snaps of his own.