Oakland Raiders: 5 defensive linemen to target in free agency

Though he has been a mainstay on Dan Quinn’s defense with the Atlanta Falcons, there is a chance that the Dirty Birds will have to move off defensive end Adrian Clayborn in free agency. He is coming off his best season as a professional, but is injury-prone and on the back-nine of his solid NFL career out of Iowa.

That being said, Clayborn has shown both in Atlanta and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he can be a menace on the defensive line with his patented swim move. This is the same guy that sacked Dak Prescott six times this season. Clayborn is not an elite pass rusher, but can and will exploit favorable mismatches. It’s not like the AFC West has a ton of great left tackles outside of Oakland to begin with.

Being at or near 10 quarterback sacks in 2017 will likely garner Clayborn a handsome pay day this offseason. Whether or not Atlanta retains him remains to be seen. While some might dock Clayborn for his injury-riddled past, he only missed three regular season games in three years with the Dirty Birds. However, he wasn’t able to go in Atlanta’s Super Bowl run a year ago.

At 6-foot-3, 281 pounds, Clayborn has the physicality and athleticism to play in multiple defensive looks. He may prove to be too pricey for the potentially cap-strapped Raiders, but he will be one of the most productive defensive ends that will be hitting free agency this summer. If the Raiders move off Autry, Clayborn could be in the mix as one of the guys who could replace him.