How the Raiders intend to cover for losing Kyu Blu Kelly shows just how flexible their defense can be. DH

The Las Vegas Raiders suffered another injury to a player who was vital to their success.

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly’s rise up the ranks was one of the best stories of the offseason. Kelly’s ascent was hard to deny and admirable on every level. He went from a potential cut candidate to starting for the Raiders in Week 1.

That does not happen in the National Football League by luck or happenstance. Kelly’s rise was legitimate; coaches, players, and media alike all agreed. The young corner took the natural bumps and bruises that come with playing significant minutes at cornerback.

Raiders’ Major Loss

Kelly was thrown at early and often this season. His struggles were as undeniable as the talent he showed in the offseason that earned him a starting position. The stats may not show it, but Kelly was a vital part of the Raiders‘ defense this season, playing nearly 70 percent of the unit’s snaps.

After suffering a season-ending injury, Las Vegas signed CB Chigozie Anusiem and placed Kelly on Injured Reserve. Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll explained how important Kelly was to Las Vegas’ defense. Carroll knows how significant a loss Kelly is for the Raiders.

“Yeah, a significant loss because he’s been such a good story for us. He really came out of nowhere in camp and was kind of knocked around different positions and all that. And I think I probably said it last night, that there was a point in there where you couldn’t ignore the fact that he was making things happen in practice and even in preseason, and you could just see it happening,” Carroll said.

“And what showed up is his natural football ability, his natural instincts, because he’s a tackler, he’s an interceptor, he’s a playmaker, and he’s aggressive, and he’s smart, and all those things along with it. And with given enough time, it didn’t matter who he was going against, he was showing that he needed a better look. So, remember, I think it was — was it the last game of preseason, or something like that, that we started him I think for the first time? 

“It took all of that offseason time and all the way through camp to get to that point, but that was the statement that I was making, that he deserved to get a chance. And I think he’s had an excellent season. It’s hard because every corner gets beat some, and when it’s a captain on one side and not on the other, it looks even kind of amplified, because E-Stokes [Eric Stokes] has had a terrific season on the other side.