Ranking the Oakland Raiders Top Five Pass Rushers

Dec 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck (91) celebrates after a sack against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

2. Justin Tuck

The Oakland Raiders brought in several veteran free agents that failed to produce while on the back-end of their careers including; Maurice Jones-Drew, LaMarr Woodley, and Matt Schaub, but one long-time NFL veteran continued to perform at a high level in 2014.

Justin Tuck was a leader both on and off the field for Oakland’s defense in 2014, as he led the team with five sacks and also registered 43 total tackles in 15 games.

The former two-time Super Bowl winning defensive end for the New York Giants will be entering his 11th season in the NFL, his second with the Raiders.

“Tuck has that experience and brings some of that wisdom to the group, so I think that’s very important,” Coach Del Rio said according to Raiders.com. “A guy that’s been there at the highest level understands what it takes. So a guy like that, that’s buying into your message and doing the things that need to be done and helping others, that’s a positive factor for you.”

Tuck is entering a contract year in 2015 and should push to put up significant numbers in order to receive another decent contract, as the 32-year-old most likely plans to stay in the NFL for at least a couple more years.

Although Tuck is still a successful pass rusher and can create havoc for opposing quarterbacks on any given Sunday, his true presence is felt in practice and in the locker room. With young talents like Mack, Valles, Mayowa and even Moore attempting to find their way in the NFL, it is essential for a team to have a leader like Tuck to help develop some of the younger edge-rushers into elite playmakers themselves.

Next: #1: Khalil Mack