Oakland Raiders: Areas their young defensive linemen must improve

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 18: Maurice Hurst #73 of the Oakland Raiders celebrates a sack with P.J. Hall #92 in the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on November 18, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 14: Maurice Hurst of Oakland Raiders looks on ahead of the NFL International series match between Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders at Wembley Stadium on October 14, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) /

Maurice Hurst – Durability

There was a lot of negatives from the 2018 Raiders season, but the Hurst was without a doubt one of the biggest positives. A fifth-round pick with first-round talent, Hurst was arguably the best player on the Raiders defense for a majority of the season.

He led the team in sacks with four and was disruptive in the run game as well.

However, an ankle injury troubled him down the stretch and cause him to miss some games. So with a full year of NFL strength and conditioning, it would be nice to see Hurst play a complete 16 games in 2019. Playing in the trenches takes a massive toll on lineman’s bodies so there is no guarantee you’ll be injury free, but I’m sure Hurst will do everything he personally can.

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