Raiders' Opponents Ranked: LBs, No.3

In trying to make back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time since 2000-02, the Las Vegas Raiders will navigate the NFL's fourth-hardest rated schedule, according to Pro Football Focus.

That will involve going against some of the most skilled linebackers in the league, ones equally adept at stopping the run and making plays in coverage.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis has had quite the shift in performance since coming to the bayou.

Not that he hadn't been established beforehand, as Davis has been a full-time starter in the NFL since 2013.

Much of that came with the New York Jets, where he had three seasons of 100 or more total tackles.

It was after returning to New York in 2017 after a one-year stint with the Cleveland Browns that Davis entered the ranks of the elite at linebacker in the league.

He had a still career-high in tackles with 135, 13 tackles for loss and five sacks.

His PFF rating was the highest of his career at the time with a grade of 73.7, and he parlayed that performance into a three-year contract with New Orleans.

In the time since, he has become one of the leaders for a defense that has been top-five in points allowed each of the past two seasons.

Davis has ranked no lower than 14th in PFF's linebackers rankings since 2018, and has been top-10 in each of the last three years.

In that time span, he's had no lower than 105 tackles in a season, has been reliable in coverage and has been a force in rushing the passer.

Davis has 21 sacks as a Saint, and 15 or more quarterback pressures in three of the last four years.

It's resulted in him being named either a First or Second-Team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons.

It shouldn't come as any surprise then to see that the Saints made it a priority to sign him to another three-year contract in 2020.

As long as Davis is on the field, the Saints defense should remain a formidable unit, one that'll likely prove to be a good test for the Raiders offense.

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