Steelers: 4 Raiders players fans should watch out for in Week 2

Steelers still must attack CB Casey Hayward

Casey Hayward joined the Raiders this offseason after a very successful stint as the top corner for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers, Heyward broke out once he signed with LA in the 2016 free agency period. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance and first All-Pro team, finishing with a league-best seven interceptions. He followed that up with another excellent season, once again being given a Pro Bowl nod and All-Pro selection. He was rewarded by the Chargers with a new three-year, $36 million contract extension. He continued to play well up until 2020, where his play noticeably dropped off and he was released by the team in the offseason.

Despite the rough final season in LA, he was named Pro Football Focus’ best corner since 2016 with a 91.1 grade.

Now on the wrong side of 30 years old and coming off his worst season as a pro, Hayward’s market as a free agent was a slow forming one. In the end, Vegas was able to sign Hayward to a one-year, $4 million contract in early May.

It made plenty of sense for both sides: Hayward gets to stay in the division and face his old team, and Vegas gets a player with a lot to prove on a defense desperately looking to improve the pass coverage.

In last week’s game against Baltimore, Hayward did just that. He was targeted just two times and did not allow a catch on either, showing he still has the physical tools to play at a high level. He isn’t the same guy who made two All-Pro teams, but for a young Raiders defense, he could still be just as valuable. He has taken on a mentor role for the young secondary, and who knows how valuable that will ultimately be.

For now, though, the Steelers need to worry about mitigating his impact on the field. Attacking him with their more physically imposing receivers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool would give them the advantage, as Heyward isn’t the biggest corner at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds.

More importantly, they should be attacking the other defensive backs as much as possible, especially their very young safeties.

This would be a great time for offensive coordinator Matt Canada to push the ball downfield on an inexperienced secondary. If the Steelers offense can run smoothly without targeting Heyward, that would be ideal. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of jump balls to Claypool if he gets Hayward matched up on him.