Yeah, stability and the Raiders’ defense probably don’t belong in the same sentence, but hey … they’re trying.
General manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels have brought back defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones, defensive tackles Bilal Nichols and Jerry Tillery, linebacker Divine Deablo, cornerback Nate Hobbs and safety Tre’von Moehrig from last season’s defense. They signed Tillery, free-agent safety Marcus Epps, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Brandon Facyson to two-year contracts rather than one-year deals, and then drafted six defensive players in April.
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Moehrig, for one, is excited to be back with Crosby and Deablo and the other returning players.
“Just guys that work hard like that, it just helps build camaraderie,” Moehrig said last month. “You see guys working hard, playing fast, that makes you want to go harder for them. So, as long as we keep doing that … the cohesion will keep building and we’ll play together fast and strong.”
Everything starts with Crosby, who is working on his G.I. Joe Kung Fu grip. We already ranked the Raiders’ offensive position groups, and now we rank the defense and which positions are the most stable heading into training camp.
How has Raiders' Maxx Crosby become one of the NFL's premier defensive players?
Las Vegas' master of disruption reviews the tape with @FB_FilmAnalysis and explains the process that's made him a dominant pass rusher and effective run stopper.
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) July 7, 2023
1. Defensive line
The starters: Crosby, Nichols, Tillery, Jones
Notable reserves: Tyree Wilson, Jordan Willis, Matthew Butler, Neil Farrell Jr., Byron Young, Malcolm Koonce, John Jenkins, Nesta Jade Silvera
Tillery was a lot better in his eight games with the Raiders than he was for the Chargers, who cut the 2019 first-round pick, and the team thinks he will continue to mature and push the pocket. The Raiders brass is also very excited about Young, who projects to be able to play inside and outside. They also added the 360-pound veteran Jenkins to push second-year players Butler and Farrell, as the goal is clearly for the defensive tackles to free up some wiggle room for the ends.
Crosby, thanks to that nonstop drive, is one of the top players in the league, and Jones is also in great shape as he looks to improve on an underwhelming first year with the Raiders. The two vets are looking forward to taking the rookie Wilson under their wing, and the No. 7 pick also looks to be able to get pressure whether lined up on the outside or inside.
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Ziegler and McDaniels are counting on the defensive line to make life easier for the rest of the defense, and coordinator — and Senior Bowl coach — Patrick Graham must deliver after getting a pass his first season.
2. Cornerback
The starters: Duke Shelley, Hobbs
Notable reserves: Jakorian Bennett, David Long Jr., Facyson, Tyler Hall, Sam Webb, Amik Robertson
Yeah, those starters are just a guess. Bennett, a fourth-round pick, had a seamless transition to offseason workouts. We’ll see how his aggression translates once the pads come on at camp and if he can make a push for a starting job. And we still expect the Raiders to bring in Marcus Peters or another veteran free agent.
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Shelley played 11 games for the Vikings last season and was solid, while Hobbs will probably be used more on the outside than inside. That leaves an opening for Hall at the slot position as he tries to build on a strong first impression with the brass last season.
Facyson started nine games for the Raiders (and coordinator Gus Bradley) in 2021 and will have a shot to earn a starting job as well. He seems to have a safety net thanks to his two-year deal, while Robertson is fighting for a roster spot. Robertson was the second-biggest surprise for the Ziegler and McDaniels after Josh Jacobs last season, as he not only won a roster spot but ended up starting seven games. The energy and enthusiasm he brings to the mix are ideal, but his height (5-foot-8) is not.
3. Safety
The starters: Epps, Moehrig
Notable reserves: Chris Smith II, Jaquan Johnson, Roderic Teamer, Isaiah Pola-Mao
The Raiders know Epps is good against the run. The question mark is how he will fare against the pass in a defense not as good as the Eagles unit that he started for last season after three years in a reserve role. Moehrig was a ballhawk in college, but his first two years in the NFL have been largely uneventful. The Raiders don’t really know what they have in him.
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Johnson, who has four starts in four seasons with the Bills, and Teamer (11 in three seasons with the Chargers and Raiders) are role players trying to create bigger roles, while the rookie Smith is out to prove that he just didn’t benefit from playing behind college football’s best defensive players at Georgia.
4. Linebacker
The starters: Deablo, Spillane, Luke Masterson
Notable reserves: Darien Butler, Amari Burney, Kana’i Mauga, Curtis Bolton, Drake Thomas
Spillane replaces Pro Bowler Denzel Perryman, who expected to have a bigger market in free agency. Perryman settled for $2.6 million for one year (only $500,000 guaranteed) with the Texans, while the Raiders gave Spillane, a former Steelers backup, a two-year deal for $7 million ($3 million guaranteed). There is no question that Perryman has been a better player, but the Raiders are banking on the younger Spillane, 27, being more durable. (Perryman, 30, has missed at least five games in three of his past six seasons.)
Their strengths are similar, as they are both downhill run-stoppers who can be a little rough on the eyes in pass coverage. Raiders linebackers coach Antonio Pierce called Spillane “a very serious player” last month.
“Football means a lot to him, you can tell that,” Pierce said. “He comes from a football background, family as well. … Kind of one of those throwback-type linebackers. Whenever you can add that to your room and that presence to your team, I think that’s a benefit to all of us.”
Deablo is bigger and better than ever. That’s the hope at least. Masterson played last season as an undrafted rookie and he will get some run again unless Burney, a converted safety, comes on quickly as a rookie or the team signs a veteran.
(Top photo of Maxx Crosby, right, and Chandler Jones: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
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