What Should Raiders' Defense Realistically Do in 2025?

The Las Vegas Raiders had a rather curious season on the defensive side of the ball in 2024.

Expecting to be one of the better units in the league, the Raiders were decimated by injuries, leading to a drop in production compared to the end of the 2023 season.

When you lose Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, Malcolm Koonce, and Marcus Epps for extended periods, your defense will suffer, and the Raiders did.

It is impressive how well Patrick Graham coached the unit, considering how competitive they remained.

Now, the Raiders will get Crosby, Wilkins, and Koonce back, bolstering a defensive line that played formidably, even in their absences.

Will the Raiders return to dominance as a defensive unit in 2025? Or will it take some time for things to fall back into place?

There are reasons to believe the Raiders can be far improved on defense next season, and there is also reason to be concerned about where Las Vegas is on that side of the ball.

The defensive line getting healthy is a major reason for optimism. Crosby, Koonce, and Wilkins should all wreak havoc on offensive lines, while Adam Butler continues his rise in the organization.

Will the defensive line make up for the patchwork linebacker group, or the talented-but-inexperienced secondary?

The Raiders signed a quality linebacker in Elandon Roberts to replace Robert Spillane, but the spot next to him is still up for grabs. Will that be former seventh-rounder Amari Burney?

Or could it be former fifth-round pick Tommy Eichenberg? Or rookie seventh-rounder Cody Lindenberg?

Devin White could also be a strong candidate for that spot, but he has not played his best football in the past few years. There could be concern for the spot opposite Roberts.

The Raiders’ top cornerback is Jakorian Bennett, while third-round rookie Darien Porter will factor in heavily. Darnay Holmes can handle the slot after a solid 2024 campaign, while Decamerion Richardson should also be a major player.

There is no true star in that group, so will the Raiders rely on the defensive line to get home to bail out the defensive backs?

Jeremy Chinn replaces Tre’von Moehrig at safety, while Isaiah Pola-Mao earns the opposite starting role. That duo could be one of the more underrated tandems in the league.

The Raiders have some talent on defense, but the areas where they do not are glaring.

Training camp will tell us much about where this team is defensively, and how much farther it needs to go.

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