Oakland Raiders: 7 last-minute predictions ahead of the 2019 season

1. Gareon Conley will emerge as the defensive leader

Raider Nation should be excited from what they saw in the re-invented Gareon Conley in the latter half of the 2018 campaign. If he’s able to continue his trajectory, there’s no telling just how good he might be this season.

If he is maintaining that path, however, you can fully expect that he’ll emerge as a leader for a Raiders defense that might still prove to be the team’s kryptonite.

Conley has shown all the makings of a player who can be elevated to the upper echelon of cornerbacks in the league. His small frame, long arms, and solid sprint speed made him a menace in coverage last season.

After being benched for a Week 6 game against the Seattle Seahawks last season, Conley would allow only 54 percent of passes to be caught, contributing to a 72.8 passer rating for quarterbacks who targeted him.

Impressively, while only being targeted 42 times last season — surely because of his ability to have an impact on opposing quarterbacks’ psyches — he was also able to nab three interceptions, a number that almost certainly will go up this season.

While progress isn’t guaranteed for Conley, who took major strides last season after looking lost on the sidelines in the earlier part of the season, the addition of one of the premier wide receivers in the game has helped build his confidence at practice.

Conley hasn’t backed down from the opportunity to match up with Antonio Brown at practice:

"“Every time I get a chance to go against [Antonio Brown] I try to go against him and always ask him questions about when he breaks and what he’s doing at the line down the field, how he plays against [defensive backs]. It’s going to make me better in the long run.”"

For Conley’s development’s sake, let’s hope that those fines have Brown consistently showing up for drills.

Picking at the brain of one of the most effective receivers in football cannot be a bad thing for Conley, who is poised to continue his breakout in a defense that will lean heavily on his ability to shut top receivers down.

To go along with Conley’s impressive metrics, his demeanor has been one of the most impressive parts of his character. Aside from not shying away from taking on the on-field challenge imposed by Brown, Conley hasn’t shied away from the prospect of being a leader either.

"“I mean I like all pressure…Any responsibility I take on, I’m going to embrace it. So if anybody wants to go in and put their best receiver up, I’m going to try and go against them and lock them down.”"

This is the kind of mindset that needs to be embraced in Oakland. If Conley can live up to the words he’s handed out — which he seems more than capable of doing — then he will undoubtedly become the leader of both the secondary and the defense as a whole.

Heading into the 2019 season, Conley is positioned to assert himself as a force to be reckoned with.

And if he’s able to pick up from where he left off last season, a selection to the Pro Bowl might just be on his horizon.