ALAMEDA — Gareon Conley skied for a jump ball with Michael Crabtree last Sunday, tipping it backward to Marcus Gilchrist for an end-zone interception to thwart a Ravens scoring chance at the end of the first half. The second-year cornerback’s impressive pass breakup against his former teammate showed just why the Raiders used the 24th overall pick on him last year, if only for one short spurt.
Conley’s proficiency in pass coverage has surfaced throughout his first full season in the league, not just once in a relatively meaningless Week 12 game. He ranks sixth among 119 cornerbacks who have played 100 or more pass-coverage snaps this season with a 66.