Raiders Mr. Reliable: Linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski
The Las Vegas Raiders defense was a disaster last season, causing defensive coordinator Paul Guenther to be fired after 13 games.
There was a least one bright spot on the defense, linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. He impressed Coach Jon Gruden so much in his first season with the Silver and Black that he was put in charge of the defense on the field midway through the season.
“(Kwiatkoski) is going to be the lead singer now,” Gruden said. “He’s the leader of the band. He’s going to get a chance to make all the calls, all the checks all the adjustments, a lot of the communication to free everybody up. Yeah, he’s really important to us.
“I think the more he’s been around, the more communicative he is becoming. He’s not really a loud, screaming, yeller type. We need our middle linebacker to give reminders, checks and alerts. I think the more that he’s played, the more that’s coming out of him. His leadership. His playmaking. His intensity. Those are things that we feed off of. We need a lot more from him … that’s for sure.”
Gruden isn’t the only one who has been impressed by the 6-2, 242-pound Kwiatkoski.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked Kwiatkoski as one of the most underrated players in the National Football League and has rated him as one of the best linebackers in the league heading into the 2021 season.
“Few of the Raiders’ recent acquisitions have outperformed expectations, but Kwiatkoski could certainly make that claim,” Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus wrote. “He posted a career-best PFF coverage grade of 75.3 in his first year with the team, as well as matching a career-high in pass breakups (three) and setting a new best in defensive stops (30).
“(He is) one of the most successful player acquisitions the Raiders have made under the current regime. Kwiatkoski isn’t a spectacular linebacker, but he’s a very good one who is consistently underrated throughout the league. He has surrendered just one touchdown in coverage in each of his past two seasons.”
Kwiatkoski was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (No. 113 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft out of West Virginia and played four seasons with the Bears. He started seven games as a rookie and six in his second season, before being named the starter at the start of 2018, but was replaced by rookie Roquan Smith part way through the season.
In four seasons with the Bears, Kwiatkoski started 22 games, made 184 tackles, 139 unassisted, including 13 tackles for losses, and added eight quarterback hits, six sacks, four forced fumbles, and an interception.
On March 27, 2020, Kwiatkoski signed a three-year, $21-million free-agent contract with the Raiders.
Last season for the Raiders, Kwiatkoski started 12 games and made 81 tackles, including 53 solos, three tackles for losses, two quarterback hits, one sack, a forced fumble, and an interception.
“I felt that I earned that spot (with the Raiders), and that’s something I looked for in free agency,” Kwiatkoski said about his talks with Gruden and General Manager Mike Mayock. “They told me that and it was very appealing.”
“They called very early and, when I spoke to them, it was very clear there was an excitement around the whole organization with the move to Las Vegas. That was one of a number of reasons why I (made my decision). When we played (the Raiders) in London (in 2019), I just loved the mentality they brought to the game, where they come right at you. With their defensive scheme, I thought I’d fit right in. I gave it some time and took some other calls, but I ended up thinking the Raiders were the best fit for me.”
It was a good move for both parties.
Kwiatkoski has locked into a starting spot again this year and the hope is that linebacker Cory Littleton, the former Los Angles Rams Pro Bowler, can bounce back under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley after an up-and-down year in 2020.
“(Littleton is) a great linebacker,” Kwiatkoski said. “To be able to line up with him and call him my teammate is going to be fun. It just comes down to repetition. It was obviously a little different offseason program and camp setup (last year because of Covid-19). But as the season went on and the more reps I got, the more comfortable I felt. We still have a long way to go, so I just need to build off that.
“There were definitely times where I got down on myself after certain things happened, but to see how it has all played out … for me, no matter what my role was or what the situation was, I just put my head down and kept working. For that to all pay off is really gratifying. You can only control what you can control, and that’s what I focused on. I never lost sight of my goals. No matter what my role was, I was determined to work like a starter and play each day like it’s my last. For it to work out the way it has, with this new opportunity, it’s really gratifying.”
If the rest of the defense follows Kwiatkoski, 2021 should be a big season for the Raiders.
Please make sure you tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Want the latest breaking Las Vegas Raiders news delivered straight to you? CLICK THE FOLLOW button at the top of the page. Don't miss any of the latest up to the second updates for your Las Vegas Raiders when you follow on Twitter @HondoCarpenter
