S Erik Harris
Harris made his debut on the Raiders defense late in the 2018 season, starting the final four games. He looked to be in line for a shot at the starting job going into 2019. The team drafted Johnathan Abram at No. 27 overall and he was the starter to begin the season, but he injured his shoulder in the season opener and Harris stepped back into his starting safety job.
Harris started 14 games last season and lead the team with three interceptions – two of which he returned for touchdowns – and lead the secondary with 74 combined tackles, and was second on the team with eight pass breakups.
Once again Harris will have to earn his starting job with the team adding two safeties in free agency. They signed former Cowboys safety Jeff Heath and former Browns safety Damarious Randall, both to one-year deals.
What helps Harris’s value is he is a stellar special teams player. That’s where he made his NFL career before becoming a starter on defense. He has never shied away from doing his part on special teams and bided his time in case he was called upon. He has twice been called up the past two seasons, so he knows that going about his business leads to opportunities.
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