Who Will Be the Raiders' Vocal Leader on Defense?
NFL defenses are always better when a player can communicate with the other players on that side of the ball.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense could be elevated by having a player who can organize the other players on the field and diagnose the offense’s plays.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun led the NFL in tackles, and he elevated their defense and made them a playoff team.
This is no doubt Maxx Crosby's defense, but who will help him?
The top 10 leading tacklers in the NFL in 2022 were all linebackers, as they are usually the quarterbacks of the defense. The Raiders signed Robert Spillane during free agency, and he is expected to get the green dot on defense.
The vocal leaders on defense are not always the star defensive players on the team, but are sometimes players who have experience within a system, or just players who have been in the NFL for a long time.
While Spillane will get the green dot, several players on the Raiders fit both of those descriptions. Defensive end Chandler Jones is the oldest defensive player on the team and can be a leader on and off the field for the Raiders’ defense.
Let’s look at some of the other candidates on the Raiders who could also be vocal leaders.
Jones and Spillane are the most obvious candidates due to their experience and expected roles. Still, after just eight games, linebacker Divine Deablo was fourth on the Raiders in tackles last season. Deablo had a great 2021, but injuries marred his 2022 season.
Luke Masterson is a player who saw his snaps increase toward the end of last season and played a fair share as a middle linebacker. Masterson was an undrafted free agent in 2022 but earned a spot on the roster.
Marcus Epps joined the Raiders as a free agent from the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the best defensive teams in the league last season. Epps figures to be the Raiders’ starting free safety after posting 76 tackles and four tackles for losses last season.
The Raiders have several players who can elevate their defense from a performance and communication standpoint.
The Raiders' offseason workout schedule is as follows:
OTA Offseason workouts: June 12-15
Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8
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