Raiders Need Adam Butler to Replicate Career Season

The Las Vegas Raiders saw defensive tackle Adam Butler have the best season of his career in 2024.

Butler totaled 65 tackles, eight for loss, 10 quarterback hits, two passes defended, a forced fumble, and five sacks. He was a bright spot on a Raiders defensive line that suffered multiple injuries.

While those players, including defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, are returning healthy, the Raiders still need Butler to continue playing at a high level. He was a force on the interior last season, and they will need that from him again.

One reason they need that from him is that Christian Wilkins’ health is still unknown. Wilkins played in just five games last season for the Silver and Black before suffering a foot injury.

While the Raiders expect Wilkins to be healthy to start the season, he was recently seen in a walking boot, meaning he may not be entirely healthy. It has been a confusing time for Wilkins and the Raiders in this regard.

With that being the case, Butler’s presence becomes much more important. The team will need him to carry the production that Wilkins leaves on the field while injured if he cannot make it back for the start of the season.

Even when Wilkins is back, Butler’s high-end play will help them be one of the better defensive units in the NFL. He is a good run defender, but his calling card is creating interior pressure.

The Raiders have some intriguing rookie defensive tackles, but the depth is not particularly exciting. Can Las Vegas rely on Jonah Laulu or Leki Fotu to carry the load if Butler were to get injured?

The same goes for those rookies, Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues. Can Patrick Graham trust them to produce if they get thrust into important roles, as we have seen players experience on the Raiders?

Butler turned a one-year contract after an impressive 2023 into a multi-year deal after an excellent 2024. The Raiders believe in him as part of their future, and they need him to be the force in the middle that he has been for the past few seasons.

With so much turmoil last season and the unpredictability of the upcoming one, the Raiders have one constant with Butler, and it is hard to imagine that not continuing.

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