What a difference a year makes.

As a rookie cornerback, Fabian Washington was making all kinds of adjustments.

The Oakland Raiders’ first-round draft pick last spring spent the 2005 NFL season getting used to everything from a new system and organization to taking on opponents who can run like the wind and embarrass a defense in no time at all.

“Last year I never felt like I got my legs up under me and was playing to my ability,” Washington said at the team’s Redwood Middle School training camp facility this week. “You’re going to come in with pressure just by being a first-rounder, and then when you’re not living up to expectations it’s tough on you. But you’ve got to fight through that.

“For all rookies it’s going to be an uphill battle. You’ve got to pretty much just get up that hill.”

Washington, an All-Big 12 selection in each of his three seasons at the University of Nebraska, feels like a different man one year later.

Confidence and experience, he said, have a lot to do with that.

Rather than trying to just break up a pass, he’s going for it all with the Raiders’ first-team defense. He’s looking to intercept the ball, force a turnover, make a big hit.

He said he’s not a gambler by trade, but is taking what he calls educated guesses, playing the percentages, taking his shots, picking his spots, and just flat out reacting more to the ball.

“I feel like I’m much better and a lot different than last year,” Washington said. “I just know a lot more about the game. It’s like a 180. I’ve got to make plays and do things right.

“You can’t be scared to make plays. A scared man don’t win. Last year I would say I was afraid to get beat.”

Washington (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) is looking to help the Raiders make more of a difference and impact on defense �” particularly on pass coverage. They had 14 fumble recoveries and only five interceptions last year. Washington played in all 16 games and started 11 of those last year. He had 39 tackles, including 36 solo stops.

“Cornerbacks have to be daring. They can’t be afraid,” said coach Art Shell, adding that Washington has the potential to be the Raiders’ lead cover man in the team’s 4-3 base defense. “You can’t go out on the line out there and be afraid of the guy you’re lining up with.”

Washington, selected by the Raiders with the 23rd overall pick, was sharp and on top of his game, starting at cornerback, intercepting a pass and making a tackle in a 16-10 win over Philadelphia last week in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

His interception �” the first of his pro career �” of a Jeff Garcia pass on a curl route and subsequent 40-yard return late in the first quarter led to Oakland’s only touchdown of the preseason opener.

“When he got that interception I think it bode well for his confidence,” said Shell. “He knows now that he can do that. He can go pick a pass off and he can return it for big yardage. I think he has said that last year he probably wouldn’t have taken the chance to try to get to a ball. This year he’s willing to do that, understanding that if you take the proper angles he can get interceptions. I’m very pleased with what he’s doing.”

Washington, who is from Bradenton, Fla., in no way doubted or questioned himself last year. He said his confidence grew game by game, as he made significant strides after struggling in camp.

He’s taking everything that he learned from his rookie season and applying it to this year �” from how he approaches the game and performs and executes on the field.

“I came into that game with so much confidence already, but that just tells me the things that I’m doing on the practice field, they’re working now,” said Washington, 23. “This first preseason game showed that we’re definitely out to get turnovers this year. We need turnovers this year to help out our offense.”

Washington also had five passes defensed and a fumble recovery last year. He led the team in tackles at Kansas City and saw extensive playing time on special teams.

“Last year I was still in a learning mode and didn’t want to make too many mistakes,” he said. “You’ve just got to make the plays when they’ve got to be made. Last year I didn’t come along as fast I wanted to. But by the middle to the end of the season I started playing with a little more confidence. But I wish I could have started out with that. If I would have started out like that my whole season would have been different.

“I never came around to being just comfortable in that zone. All the good corners are in a zone. No matter what, they feel like they can cover anybody �” and that’s how I’ve got to be this year.”

Oakland has taken steps to beef up its defense, drafting cornerback-safety Michael Huff from Texas in the first round, linebacker Thomas Howard from Texas-El Paso in the second and linebacker Darnell Bing from Southern California in the fourth.

“Camp is going a lot smoother this year, especially for our defense, as we’ve been making some nice plays going against our No. 1 offense,” said Washington. “Overall, I think camp has been a success for the whole team.”

Washington, who started 35 games for Nebraska’s “Blackshirt” defense, has high expectations for himself and what he wants to get done.

“I’m expecting to be a household name after this year. I know that last year was a setback for me, but I’m going to show the AFC why I was a first-round draft pick.”