The Raiders were hoping that the addition of Maliek Collins would solidify their interior defensive line in 2020. With the success that he had in Dallas with defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, that felt like a given. However, Collins has really struggled in his first year in Las Vegas, grading out as one of the league’s worst defensive tackles at Pro Football Focus.
However, the opposite is true for Maurice Hurst. In his third season with the team, Hurst continues to develop into a solid interior defender. He is currently the team’s third-highest graded defender, excelling as a pass-rusher. While he has just one sack on the year, Hurst has eight pressures on 93 pass-rush snaps.
In a recent article by Michel Ginnitti of Spotrac, Hurst was named a player the Raiders should consider giving an extension to as soon as possible. Here are Ginnitti’s thoughts on the potential contract below:
“The former fifth-round pick has been solid & improving each of his first three seasons. He’s not a break the bank player, but his value to the team is worth a multi-year extension.”
Ginnitti believes Hurst could receive upwards of $6 million on the open market. Given the problems the Raiders have on the defensive line, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to sign him early to a deal and then find another complementary player later this offseason.
Hurst is an important player for the Raiders, who has proven to be successful in Paul Guenther’s scheme. Locking him up for the foreseeable future could be the best decision for both parties.
