Without a doubt, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was the team’s most impressive rookie from the 2018 draft. He totaled five sacks and was dominant in both the run and pass game. Heading into the offseason, it appeared he was one of the team’s building blocks going forward.
However, Hurst got off to a slow start in 2019 as he played behind the likes of P.J. Hall and Johnathan Hankins. But as expected, Hurst is slowly getting back on the right track this season, starting with his performance in Week 5.
According to Pro Football Focus, he was the team’s second-highest graded defender, totaling four pressures, two sacks and two hurries on just 24 pass-rush snaps.
Oakland (and Paul Guenther) know that this team is at it’s best when Hurst is playing a heavy amount of snaps. He’s the one interior defensive lineman that demands double teams and can obliterate one-on-one matchups against guards.
If Hurst can continue to play anywhere close to the level that we saw in the Raiders’ last game, they have a chance to compete with just about anyone. He’s that talented. Look for Hurst to have an even more significant role over the team’s final 11 games as Oakland makes a playoff push.
