There was only one defender that had more snaps for the Las Vegas Raiders defense than safety Isaiah Pola-Mao.
That was linebacker Devin White at 1,118 snaps in 2025 and that total accounts for nearly 100 percent (99.38 percent to be exact) of the team’s defensive snaps last season. Pola-Mao, in comparison, notched 1,081 snaps (96.09 percent), showcasing the iron men nature of the two Raider defenders.
Interestingly enough, White is no longer in Silver & Black. Despite pacing the team with 174 total
tackles as a 17-game starter, the 28-year-old linebacker remains an unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year flier contract. Since general manager John Spytek has a history with White dating back to their respective Tampa Bay Buccaneers days, the assumption was eventually, White and the Raiders would re-up on a richer and longer deal than the one-year pact inked last offseason.
However, the Raiders chief personnel man made a major pivot in free agency this offseason by inking Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker to bolster the linebacker position instead of going back to the well with White.
How does this relate to Pola-Mao, you may be wondering.
Like linebacker, Spytek reconstituted numbers at safety, too, investing 2026 NFL Draft picks in Arizona safeties Treydan Stukes (second round, 38th overall) and Dalton Johnson (fifth round, 150th overall). The Raiders general manager added more talent to a roster bereft of it from 2025 to this offseason all with intention of putting rookie head coach Klint Kubiak and his assembled coaching staff in the best possible position to succeed.
And with Stukes and Dalton joining Pola-Mao, Jeremy Chinn, and Tristin McCollum in a bolstered safety room, a reserve/sub package role may be the best route for Pola-Mao.
An undrafted free agent find out of USC in 2022, the 6-foot-4 and 205-pound Pola-Mao served as a reserve/special teamer in his first two seasons with the Raiders before logging starting snaps in 2024 (14 starts, 17 games). This past season, the Phoenix native was a 17-game starter and compiled respectable numbers in 2025 with 92 total tackles (58 solo), four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and four pass deflections.
Pola-Mao finished third on the team in the tackles department (behind White and fellow starting safety Jeremy Chinn, 114 total) and the pair of picks was good for second on the team (former cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly led Las Vegas with three interceptions in 2025).
But similar to White’s case, statistics don’t tell the full story — as impressive as they may be.
According to Pro Football Reference, Pola-Mao was targeted 57 times in coverage and the safety allowed 38 completions (66.7 percent completion rate) while yielding 582 yards and six touchdowns this past season. Of those yards, 407 were air yards and 175 arrived after the catch (yards after catch; YAC). In terms of yards and touchdown allowed in coverage, Pola-Mao was tops by quite a bit. White was next up allowing 475 yards then Kelly at 460 yards. Kelly and Chinn were next with four touchdowns given up, apiece. Quarterback’s targeting Pola-Mao sported a 120.7 rating and Chinn was the worst offender yielding a 124.8 QB rating.
While I do expect Pola-Mao to get first crack at earning a starting gig at safety this offseason, the additions of Stukes and Johnson must push the USC product either to improve or back into a reserve/sub package role that allowed the safety to be more impactful in previous seasons.
With Kubiak now as boss, Rob Leonard promoted from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator, much more competent coaching — or at least that’s the hope — is on the horizon in Las Vegas.
The revamped coaching staff — with Leonard and defensive backs coach/defensive pass game coordinator Joe Woods — under Kubiak should provide improvement across the board for incumbent defenders like Pola-Mao. But the potential of drafted rookies Stukes and Johnson can give the returning Raider a run for his money this offseason.
Stukes, who stands 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds and 4.33 40-yard dash timed speed, epitomizes the versatility this Raiders coaching staff is all about as he can line up in the slot as a nickel cornerback or at the safety spots. An “older” rookie at 24 years old, Stukes is expected to contribute sooner than other NFL neophytes due to his age and experience alongside with his coverage ability. Las Vegas lacked sticky cover defensive backs and that’s where Stukes shines. The team also didn’t get enough takeaways from the secondary and this particular Wildcat brings that in spades with four interceptions this past season at Arizona.
Johnson, measuring in at 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds with 4.41 timed speed, is more of a tackling-machine type who is tough and loves to get down and dirty. Like his teammate, Johnson dabbled in multiple spots during his time as a Wildcat playing both safety spots while also getting snaps in the slot and box defender. He uses his speed to get sideline-to-sideline to making stops and teams that underestimate his coverage ability paid as he picked off four passes last season. While likely to carve out a role on special teams first, Las Vegas is expected to confuse offenses with versatility and Johnson’s ability to line up as a physical box defender is a key trait.
Last, but not least, there’s veteran cornerback Taron Johnson, a nickel defender obtained in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. The 29-year-old (30 on July 27) is expected to be a key cog in Leonard’s defense as a physical and reliable slot corner who is sticky in coverage, can tackle, and provide veteran leadership in the Woods’ secondary. Johnson has received snaps at safety this offseason, highlighting the versatility the Raiders seek from the players.
Pola-Mao’s size and instincts still make him a capable defender, especially if Las Vegas deploys big nickel looks and does rotate defenders around to confuse a defense and be less predictable. But he’s currently on the final year of a two-year contract extension inked last offseason. So there’s both monetary and personal motivation for Pola-Mao to rebound after a rough 2025 campaign.
