Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens: 5 Players to Watch

C.J. Mosley

Dec 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) gets introduced prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

C.J. Mosley is coming off an excellent rookie season in which he was in the conversation for defensive rookie of the year, alongside Aaron Donald (who won) and our very own Khalil Mack.

Mosley is a tackling machine and is one of the best young linebackers in the league. He has a very bright future ahead of him, and he’ll be all over the field on Sunday.

He’s one of those players who seems to be near the ball on every play, and is definitely a guy you have to account for in the game plan. He’ll primarily be responsible for keeping tabs on Latavius Murray, and he’ll also patrol the middle of the field, making it difficult for the offense to execute crossing and slants routes.

Accounting for a middle linebacker is hard to do, since they play primarily out in space. If the running game is going to have any success, they’ll need to break a few runs out to the second level, which is mainly when Mosley becomes a factor.

Mosley’s ability to shed blocks and his knack for taking precise angles to the ball carrier allows him to rack up tackles in bunches, so expect to see a lot of that #57 jersey on Sunday.

Next: Player to Watch #5: Dan Williams