Raiders Safety Chris Smith II on Getting Ready for Year 2

Second-year safety Chris Smith II is looking to make this Las Vegas Raiders team for the second year in a row. Smith is now getting to see the game from a different perspective.

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Chris Smith II (29) and Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Amari Burney (56) celebrate after the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 27-14 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders will have to make some tough decisions in these next couple days, starting with the 53-man roster cuts on Tuesday.

The Raiders will have to also make decisions on personnel -- How many players they want to keep at each position and if they will be saving a roster spot for a player they want to sign after cuts are made.

A player that is on the bubble of making the roster is second-year safety Chris Smith II. Smith was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Last season, he appeared in 12 games for the Silver and Black.

Smith is competing in a tough safety group that includes Trev'on Moehrig and Marcus Epps. The Raiders are also really high on Isaiah Pola-Mao.

Smith did finish off the preseason with a solid showing, recording an interception in Friday's preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers. He picked off 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy.

"The game has slowed down a lot for me," Smith told reporters after Friday's game. "My coach GA [Gerald Alexander], he has done a lot for my game. Getting into the mental part of the game and not so much the physical or just going out there and playing just to play. I have a deeper mind of the game now, and I feel like that is helping me play faster. I got comfortable as the series went on. We went out there and wanted to put our best foot forward for this last preseason game. It felt good to just get out there and compete with the guy's man. We have been putting in a lot of work this offseason, and it just felt good to finally go out there and put some good things out.

"I mean, like I said, it is everything we worked for. And I am most excited to see what this season holds for us. Obviously, we got big expectations for ourselves, and we want to go out there and prove it to ourselves. Obviously, you want to take care of what is in front of you. You know this came first and then we will focus on this today. And then tomorrow or whenever we get to the Chargers, we will get ready for the Chargers."

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