Raiders' Alexander Mattison is High on His Team's Defense

New Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison faced the Raiders' defense in Week 14 last season.

Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) and linebacker / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison is with just his second NFL team in six years.

All he had ever known were the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Now, Mattison is with a new organization and is already fully invested in the Raiders.

Mattison is joining a Raiders offense that will be looking to bounce back from a rather disappointing 2023 season. Defensively, though, Las Vegas will look to build on its late-season success from last year.

Mattison, who played against the Raiders in Week 14 last season, told Mike Dixon of Vegas Sports Today he faced a defense that consisted of "ballers all around."

"And then, we added some pieces, too," Mattison said. "Going out and getting Christian Wilkins and just ... what they already had, coming into this, now being a part of this, our defense is stacked. Our defense is ready to go, flying around. The pieces that we added through the draft process and getting those rookies, getting some of those new guys in, overall, I'm extremely excited. Everyone in the building has new energy, has that focus, we're grinding. So, yeah, it's going to be an exciting year."

The Raiders added four defensive players in the 2024 NFL Draft, including cornerback Decamerion Richardson, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, safety Trey Taylor and cornerback M.J. Devonshire. Those rookies, along with Wilkins, add to what was already one of the top defenses in the league by the end of the 2023 season.

Mattison turned in a 66-yard rushing display against the Silver and Black last season before going down with an ankle injury in the second half. He would miss Week 15 and play minimal snaps the rest of the season.

Mattison was released by Minnesota in March before being signed by the Raiders. He joins a running back room that consists of Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brittain Brown, Sincere McCormick and rookie Dylan Laube.

In his five seasons with the Vikings, Mattison rushed for 2,370 yards and 11 touchdowns, while posting 718 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

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