With free agency less than one week away, here at the Raiders Wire, we will be reviewing every position and examine which positions require upgrades. Next up on our list is the defensive line position.
DT Maurice Hurst
Maurice Hurst, the defensive tackle out of Michigan, could prove to be the steal of 2018 NFL draft. A projected first-round pick to start the draft process, the combine revealed he had a heart condition which led to teams taking him off the board entirely. Raiders decided to take a flyer on Hurst by selecting him in the fifth round, and he displayed promise during his first season.
Hurst finished the year with four sacks, which led the team who only sacked the quarterback 13 times on the season. Interior pass rush is essential in today’s NFL, and Hurst adds the element to the Raiders pass rush for the future.
Hurst’s struggles were more on run defense when his size would come into play, and he would get pushed back opening holes for opponents. Hurst is the future of the defense and is the perfect 3-technique for Paul Guenther’s 4-3 scheme.
DE Arden Key
Arden Key was projected to be selected top-five before the 2018 season but off the field issues, and a decline in performance caused him to fall in the draft. The Raiders took another risk in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft with the plan to have him start behind Khalil Mack while he got accustomed to the NFL level.
Then, the Mack trade forced Key into the starting line up before he was ready to be the primary rusher off the edge. Key struggled to push pressure on the quarterback and displayed the stiffness and lack of athleticism that caused him to fall in the draft. He only finished the year with one sack and 31 total pressures on the season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Key started to come along at the end of the season and adds optimism when the front office adds quality players around him.
DT P.J. Hall
The Raiders surprised the football world when they drafted P.J. Hall early in the second round. Hall was unknown from Sam Houston State without a combine invite, but his pro day proved him to be extremely athletic for his position. The Raiders sure did reach on a player who would have been available on day three, but when he played he displayed interior pass rushing talent during 512 snaps.
Hall played well against the run because of his explosiveness off the line caught interior offensive lineman off guard and help him control gaps for his linebackers to make plays.
While the sack production didn’t show up in the stat sheet, he exhibited potential as pass rusher down the stretch, creating pressure in the interior during the last weeks of the season. The Raiders will add depth to the position, but Hall will have every chance to start in 2019.
DT Justin Ellis
Justin Ellis is one of the few survivors of the 2014 draft class. The former fourth-round pick has found a career at a dying position which is the pure nose tackle or 1 technique with his quality play at stopping the run.
Ellis was injured most of 2018 only playing 133 snaps during the season. When Ellis did see the field, he still proved to be valuable to the depth of the defensive line and a favorite of Paul Guenther. Expect Ellis to be on the roster when September rolls along.
Free agency and the NFL Draft
Defensive line depth and talent is the most significant area of need for the Raiders this offseason. The terrible stat line of 13 sacks last year will have to drastically improve if they want to compete against Patrick Mahomes and Phillip Rivers. With 71 million in cap space and four selections in the first 35 picks, the Raiders are primed for an overhaul.
The free agency class of defensive lineman is pretty thick with young players such as Timmy Jernigan, who is a stout run defender that can generate pressure on the quarterback. The Raiders could take a flyer on a cheaper player like Derrick Morgan, who has production sacking the quarterback in previous seasons.
Higher priced free agents such as Ziggy Ansah or Trey Flowers could also impact the roster immediately, but the price tag might be too high for a team looking to rebuild.
The draft is where the Raiders can load up on talent with one of the deepest defensive line classes in years. The options of Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams, Josh Allen, or even Ed Oliver at the top of the draft can upgrade the position.
With the later picks in the first round, there is Clelin Ferrell, Brian Burns, Jerry Tillery, and Chase Winovich are all worthy late first round picks or early day two. The Raiders have plenty of options to build up this defensive line.
