Raiders' Nesta Jade Silvera a Perfect Fit for DC Graham
Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has a lot of young talent on the interior of his defensive line.
Graham is on his third team as a Defensive Coordinator, as he was previously in charge of the Miami Dolphins defense and the New York Giants' defense.
In addition, he spent time as a defensive assistant and a position coach in New England with the Patriots, when Coach Josh McDaniels also was there.
In building his defense with the Raiders, the team has drafted three interior defensive linemen since Graham took over, including Nesta Jade Silvera, who they drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Arizona State.
Silvera is a perfect fit for the Raiders. He stands at 6-2 and weighs 304 pounds, making him a massive run-stopping nose tackle. Graham’s defensive tackles over the years have excelled at stopping the run.
In Miami, Graham worked with Christian Wilkins, who has developed into one of the top interior defensive linemen in the NFL. In New York, he worked with Dexter Lawrence, who made his first Pro Bowl last season and signed a four-year contract extension this offseason.
Silvera played for the Sun Devils and the Miami Hurricanes in college, posting 161 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for losses, and three and a half sacks.
Silvera plays with a competitive edge and likes to explode into his blocker. He has long arms and can fly off the snap into gaps.
Graham had Silvera on his Senior Bowl team in February in Mobile, Ala., so those two gained some familiarity with each other long before Silvera was drafted to the Raiders. He comes to camp with an idea of what is expected of him.
The Raiders needed to find players to disrupt the defensive line's interior, which is what Nesta Jade Silvera can provide. While he was a seventh-round pick, he has a great shot at competing for a starting role on the interior.
If he comes into camp showing off what made him a fit for the Raiders’ defense in the first place, he will give himself a great chance to earn early playing time.
OTA Offseason workouts: June 12-15
Mandatory Minicamp: June 6-8
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