With The First Pick
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Gareon Conley the Perfect Pick for Oakland Raiders

By Carl Cockerham

Nov 5, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp (1) cannot pull in a pass in the first quarter under pressure from Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (8) at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp (1) cannot pull in a pass in the first quarter under pressure from Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (8) at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 15, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (8) breaks up the pass intended for Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Robert Wheelwright (15) during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State won 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (8) breaks up the pass intended for Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Robert Wheelwright (15) during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State won 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Scheme Fit

Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. brought the Cover 1 and Cover 3 to the Raiders. And as I mentioned before, Conley has the instincts and range to pick your pocket in Cover 3. Then there are those long arms to go with that size strength and athleticism for press.

Conley did the same thing at Ohio State the Raiders are going to have him do. I believe in CBs David Amerson and Sean Smith but Conley was not drafted to be a nickel CB. He’s already the team’s best CB by virtue of the way he fits the scheme.

He fits the Cover 1/Cover 3, press bail system better than Amerson and Smith. Amerson was good in Washington as a man-coverage CB then was cut when the Redskins went to zone-based scheme. When the Raiders picked him up, he flourished in man coverage in 2015.

Sean Smith was known as a shutdown CB while in bump and run most of his career. But both he and Amerson struggled at times when asked to play in zone coverage. But Conley is the perfect fit for this defense as he is able to jump a route for an INT in zone coverage

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