The Las Vegas Raiders could be a sneaky team to watch out for during the 2024 season as they closed out last year strong and revamped parts of the roster this offseason.
Defensively, the Raiders have several things working in their favor. Maxx Crosby remains the heart and soul of the unit, and the team signed Christian Wilkins to beef up the middle of the defensive line.
However, Las Vegas also has Tyree Wilson who will be entering his second season in the league. Wilson was the Raiders’ first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft but spent most of his rookie year recovering from a foot injury.
Wilson has been hard at work during the offseason and got high praise from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham via Ezekiel Trezevant of Sports Illustrated:
“Well, the moving the defensive end inside, that’s always been a part of just like for any rookie edge rusher, both for myself and for Robbie Leonard, who’s our D-line coach who does a great job,” Graham said. “It teaches them to use their hands because they’re dealing with the more immediate block from the guard or the center, so I thought that was really critical to Tyree’s [Wilson] development that’s going to help him out on the edge.
“I’ve told you before, we utilize that before in the past, the different spots I’ve been, so that was good. And then, with the whole offseason, he’s doing what everybody else is doing. I don’t want to single him out, but they’re all working hard. They’ve got a great kinship or camaraderie going on that D-line room and it’s infectious and it’s spreading throughout the defense, and you always feel those guys out there on the field whether you hear him or you feel him. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”
Wilson played 17 games last season and recorded 29 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks, though most of that production came after the move inside. Wilson’s versatility to play inside or outside is a boon for Graham and the defense, and it’ll be interesting to see where they line him up in 2024.
Marvin Lewis compared Raiders’ Maxx Crosby to NFL Hall of Famers
Crosby’s established himself as one of the best defensive players in the league the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down. His never-ending motor and relentlessness on the field prompted Raiders coach Marvin Lewis to compare him to a few NFL Hall of Famers like Shannon Sharpe and Ray Lewis.
