Why Raiders Should Consider Star UCLA LB in NFL Draft

The Las Vegas Raiders could add several impact defenders in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Raiders’ defense suffered multiple injuries to important contributors in 2024, causing them to struggle on that side of the ball.

Now that Las Vegas has those players back healthy and has retained Patrick Graham as the defensive coordinator, the plans of being a top defense are back on track.

But there is still work to do for General Manager John Spytek as he builds the Raiders into a contender. He has several selections in this draft and can use them to bolster the defense.

One player the Raiders could consider on the second day of the draft is UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger. Coming off his first full season as a starter, Schwesinger impressed scouts and the NFL Draft world.

In three seasons with the Bruins, Schwesinger posted 163 total tackles, 12 for loss, a forced fumble, three passes defended, two interceptions, and five sacks. He was First-Team All-Big Ten and a First-Team All-American in his junior season.

One thing that stands out about Schwesinger’s game is how mature and intelligent he is as a middle linebacker, even though he has only been a full-time starter for one season. He rarely misses an assignment or gets fooled, always making plays around the ball.

Schwesinger is an excellent athlete. UCLA was comfortable sending him on blitzes and dropping him into coverage.

According to Pro Football Focus, Schwesinger was the fifth-best pass-rushing linebacker in the nation in 2024 with a 90.0 pass-rush grade. He is another player the Raiders could use to get after the quarterbacks in the AFC West.

One knock on Schwesinger is that while he is 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds, he has a bit of a thin frame and often gets overpowered by bigger offensive linemen when he is trying to make a play in the run game.

Schwesinger will have to bulk up and get stronger when taking on blocks at the next level.

The Raiders added Elandon Roberts in free agency but have not yet found a replacement for Divine Deablo. Schwesinger could be that replacement in the early second round.

The 2025 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, so stay with us as we bring you the latest on the Raiders’ draft plans.

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