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Pick any position on defense and you can accurately say it’s the biggest need on the Raiders’ roster. The 30th-ranked scoring defense has so many holes on their defense that they need to be upgraded this offseason. But which position is the most pressing need?
In a recent article by Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, he listed edge rusher, interior defensive and safety as the three-biggest needs on the roster. Here is what the senior writer had to say about the lack of pass rush on the defensive line for the Raiders:
“The Raiders theoretically “won” the Khalil Mack trade on paper if you look at the abstract value of what they brought back in return. Still, the franchise needs to spend that value wisely, and it has struggled to do so. Las Vegas has yet to replace what Mack brought to the table. In the three seasons since he departed, the team hasn’t had an edge rusher top 50 total pressures, and Mack’s final year with the Raiders saw him post 79, a three-year low at the time. The highest PFF pass-rushing grade of the group this past season was just 70.0, so Las Vegas need to find a solution again.”
Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell are nice complementary pieces, but neither project as All-Pro players in the NFL. The team needs someone who can win consistently against one-on-one blocks and can demand double-teams. They need a, well, Khalil Mack.
Unfortunately, the 2021 NFL Draft doesn’t appear to have any top-end talent like that available. However, free agency might be the best avenue for the Raiders as there are several proven sack-artists expected to hit the market.
The Raiders know they have to find more of a pass rush this offseason, so expect them to be aggressive finding a star edge defender. Names such as Yannick Ngakoue, Melvin Ingram or Matt Judon could be potential targets in a few months.
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