Improved Pass Rush Should Help Raiders Defensive Backs

The Las Vegas Raiders defense returns every starter from last season except for one. The lone new addition should help every level of the defense, including the Raiders defensive backs.

Oct 17, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders free safety Trevon Moehrig (25) celebrates his interception the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The most significant move Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco made this offseason was the addition of former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. The veteran defensive lineman is undoubtedly one of the best in the National Football League. The addition of Wilkins has led to high expectations for the Raiders' defense, as other than Wilkins, the team returns every defensive starter from last season. 

This is critical as the Raiders added one of the best defensive tackles in the league to a team that finished with the ninth-highest-scoring defense. The addition of Wilkins also meant the Raiders were adding one of the best defensive tackles in the league to a defensive line that contained one of the top-ranked pass-rushing duos in the NFL: veteran defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. Crosby and Koonce finished last season, leading the league in pressures.

The Raiders enter this season expecting to have one of the best defenses in the league, mainly because of the quality of their defensive line. Next to Wilkins on the defensive line will be veteran defensive tackle John Jenkins, who is coming off an outstanding season. Jenkins is coming off the best season of his career, and he was not playing next to a talent like Wilkins. 

The addition of Wilkins will improve everyone on the defensive line and every other level of the defense, specifically the defensive backs. While Wilkins’ presence will help the Raiders group of linebackers, the Raiders are arguably more talented at linebacker than they are at defensive back. The Raiders’ defensive backs are talented but there is not much proven depth behind the starters. While talented Raiders defensive backs are arguably the weakest unit on the defense, it is the unit with the most questions heading into this season.

However, the addition of Wilkins shows Telesco's wisdom. The veteran general manager understood that while signing Wilkins to such a large contract was a risk, he was taking a risk on one of the best defensive tackles in the league. That risk would help every part of the defense, not just the defensive line. Telesco’s decision to add Wilkins allows the Raiders to protect weaker areas on their defense, such as their defensive backs.

While the Raiders unleash the top pass-rushing duo in the league, they now also add Wilkins, who will only help the pass rush, which should give quarterbacks even less time to throw the ball, making life much easier on one of the youngest defensive backfields in the NFL.

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