3 Biggest Question Marks for Raiders' Defense

The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping to improve their overall defensive effort in 2023 after a dismal performance in 2022.

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham is entering his second season in charge of that unit, and General Manager Dave Ziegler added several new faces through free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft, so the defense should look notably different.

With so many new players and not a whole lot of answers on defense, the Raiders are faced with several questions in terms of personnel, expectations, competition they will face, and more.

Today, let’s take a look at the top three question marks the Raiders’ defense is facing.

Beyond Maxx Crosby, who will contribute consistently? -- If the Raiders needed a big play defensively last season, Crosby delivered. As good as he is, teams are circling No. 98 on their scouting reports, so lots of attention will be on him.

Beyond Crosby, who will be the player to make a play when the Raiders need it? That was supposed to be Chandler Jones, but he struggled last season and enters his 12th year in the league.

That player could be linebacker Divine Deablo, who played well before his injury last season, or it could be one of the new free agent additions in Robert Spillane or Marcus Epps. Whoever it is, Crosby will appreciate it.

How ready is Tyree Wilson? -- The Raiders selected Wilson with the seventh overall pick in the draft. Wilson, a big, long, edge rusher with strength and speed, has an extremely high ceiling and will be a force off the edge for years to come.

The question becomes, how soon will he be ready? He is still raw from a technical standpoint and needs refining as a pass rusher. As of right now, NFL offensive linemen will be able to more easily handle him.

Wilson will still likely make plays in his rookie season, but he might not be a player the Raiders rely on to play 1,000 snaps right now.

Who will make up the cornerback rotation? -- The Raiders brought in several cornerbacks on one-year contracts, and they have corners already on the team who are young and unproven.

So who will play a majority of the snaps, and who will be quality depth? Nate Hobbs looks to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2022 and regain his form after an impressive rookie season.

Duke Shelley had a very good season with the Minnesota Vikings last year. Tyler Hall ended 2022 strong. Rookie Jakorian Bennett might find himself on the field.

Graham’s defensive backs were not very good last season, and he hopes they can bounce back in 2023.

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