Raiders' Defense Built for Modern Football

The Las Vegas Raiders' defensive group can take on any offense in the league.

Nov 12, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce watches game action against the New York Jets during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders will go as far as their defense can take them in 2024. 

That could be pretty far, as the Raiders should be one of the best defensive units in the league. 

Coach Antonio Pierce and Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham have done an excellent job as the architects of the defense, creating a group that can adjust to any offense. 

That is one of the reasons the Raiders could surprise the league -- they have a defensive roster constructed to attack a modern-day offense. 

The defensive line is loaded with versatile players who can defend the run and the pass. Christian Wilkins is a big-bodied run stuffer who has improved as a pass rusher throughout his career, posting a career-high nine sacks in 2023. Wilkins will stop the run on early downs, then show off some pass-rush juice on passing downs. 

The Raiders have one of the best defensive players in the league, defensive end Maxx Crosby, off the edge. Crosby is elite at stopping the run and making tackles for loss and is one of the best pass-rushers in football. Malcolm Koonce, who had a breakout third season, enters his fourth season in the league as a mainstay off the edge. 

The linebackers feature multiple different skill sets. Robert Spillane is an instinctual defender who can fit the run and make plays downhill. Divine Deablo is a speedy defensive back convert who can cover tight ends over the middle. No matter what the play is, at least one linebacker is on it. 

The Raiders' secondary is versatile as well. Marcus Epps and Tre’von Moehrig are high-IQ safety defenders. Nate Hobbs is an excellent run defender as a slot cornerback, while Jack Jones is sticky in coverage downfield. 

The Raiders will face good offenses in the AFC West this season, so they need to be able to defend all sorts of different offensive looks. Pierce and his squad want to take down the Kansas City Chiefs again like they did on Christmas Day last season. They can do that by stopping whatever Patrick Mahomes throws their way. 

Las Vegas faces some elite modern offenses in 2024. They can give themselves a great chance to win those games because of their versatile defense built to handle anything.

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