One breakout candidate for each NFL team in 2018

The Oakland Raiders were supposed to do something special in 2017, as they were coming off a 12-win season, and their quarterback was back healthy. However, they took a major step back, winning only six games, and in the process, the entire coaching staff was fired.

Fast forward to 2018, and the Raiders have Jon Gruden back at head coach, as he looks to bring in this franchise back to the winning brand of football he instilled the first time he was there. If the team is going to improve over last season, they have to be better in the secondary, and it all starts with Gareon Conley.

The Raiders made Conley their first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, selecting the shutdown corner out of Ohio State with the No. 24 pick. However, many believed he was the best overall corner the draft class had to offer, but a rape charge prior to the draft forced a lot of teams to shy away from him.

Oakland came calling, but they did not get much in return for selecting him in the first round. Conley spent most of his first season in the NFL on the shelf, as he battled a shin injury all season long, and was really relegated to being just a spectator.

The expectation in 2018 is that he will lead the cornerback group in Oakland, and he certainly looks healthy through the first couple of days of training camp. This secondary will only be as good as Conley is, and with his incredible skill set, he could be a guy who is a Pro Bowler if he can stay healthy in year two.