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With the NFL Draft under a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ EDGE position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Maxx Crosby is one of the best edge rushers in the league and this offseason the Raiders made that statement by making him the highest paid non-QB in league history. They also brought back Malcolm Koonce on a one-year deal to ensure they have the same two expected starters as last season until Koonce was injured just prior to the start of the season.
Getting Koonce was was huge. Tyree Wilson has proven precisely nothing in terms of whether he can be a starter, let alone worthy of his former fourth overall pick draft status. As of now, he is the next man up, which is kinda sketch too tbh. A better next-man-up option looked to be former first round pick K'Lavon Chaisson, but he was allowed to leave in free agency.
The man who infamously traded away Hall of Famer Khalil Mack once said "Good pass rushers are hard to find". While many others have noted that you can't have enough of them. You need only have watched the Super Bowl this year to see how pass rush can be the difference. The aforementioned contract that Crosby received -- and others since then -- tells you it's the most valuable position next to quarterback.
It's for that reason -- and because the Raiders are one injury away from a highly questionable pass rush -- that, despite having two solid starters, you can't rule out them taking an edge rusher in this draft,, even, perhaps as high as their pick at sixth overall. Even with greater needs elsewhere. It all depends on who is on the board when they pick.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders Depth Chart: Analyzing the EDGE ahead of NFL draft
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Starters: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce
Backups: Tyree Wilson, Charles Snowden, Andre Carter II, Ovie Oghoufo, David Agoha
Maxx Crosby is one of the best edge rushers in the league and this offseason the Raiders made that statement by making him the highest paid non-QB in league history. They also brought back Malcolm Koonce on a one-year deal to ensure they have the same two expected starters as last season until Koonce was injured just prior to the start of the season.
Condition: Stable
Getting Koonce was was huge. Tyree Wilson has proven precisely nothing in terms of whether he can be a starter, let alone worthy of his former fourth overall pick draft status. As of now, he is the next man up, which is kinda sketch too tbh. A better next-man-up option looked to be former first round pick K'Lavon Chaisson, but he was allowed to leave in free agency.
Draft projection
The man who infamously traded away Hall of Famer Khalil Mack once said "Good pass rushers are hard to find". While many others have noted that you can't have enough of them. You need only have watched the Super Bowl this year to see how pass rush can be the difference. The aforementioned contract that Crosby received -- and others since then -- tells you it's the most valuable position next to quarterback.
It's for that reason -- and because the Raiders are one injury away from a highly questionable pass rush -- that, despite having two solid starters, you can't rule out them taking an edge rusher in this draft,, even, perhaps as high as their pick at sixth overall. Even with greater needs elsewhere. It all depends on who is on the board when they pick.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders Depth Chart: Analyzing the EDGE ahead of NFL draft
Continue reading...
