Two Raiders Ranked Among Top-25 Edge Rushers
In what is now a predominantly passing league, having multiple Pro Bowl-caliber edge rushers in the NFL is paramount for success.
This year, that will be especially true for the Las Vegas Raiders, being in an AFC West division loaded with quarterback talent.
Fortunately for them, the Raiders added former All-Pro pass rusher Chandler Jones to complement homegrown star, Maxx Crosby.
Both players were ranked in the top-25 of Pro Football Focus' tier rankings of the league's best edge rushers.
Crosby can be found right away near the top of the list, ranking sixth in PFF's tier-one group of Defensive Player of the Year candidates.
Writer Sam Monson points out how Crosby led the NFL in pressures during his breakout 2021 season, being only the third player since 2006 to have more than a 100 in a season.
Along with ranking highly in PFF's run defense metrics, Crosby has the chance to assert himself as one of the best all-around defensive linemen in the league.
Jones was ranked four tiers lower in PFF's tier titled "Declining Forces." That might seem like an insult at first, but it wasn't all negative.
Monson points out the fact that Jones' ability as a run defender has regressed in recent years, but his production as a pass rusher when healthy has still stood out.
At 32 years old, Jones is now entering the point of his career where he's closer to the end than he is to the beginning.
What's also true is that Jones has arguably never had a running mate the caliber of Crosby, and that can help him find better match-ups to be effective.
Not that he should need that too much, as Jones is still young enough to have plenty of juice to rush the passer.
It was also only last year that a now 33-year-old Von Miller played an integral role in the Los Angeles Rams' run to a Super Bowl title.
Jones could end up having a similar impact in Las Vegas, being the missing piece the Silver and Black's defense needs to reach the next level and solidify the Raiders as a true contender.
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