When it comes to the Raiders 2019 roster, they must attack the edge position, an area that was stripped when the team traded away Khalil Mack last season. With Bruce Irvin failing to step into Mack’s shoes, rookie Arden Key and veteran Frostee Rucker were forced into major action, and that led to the Raiders getting to the quarterback a league-low 13 times.
While that has been stated numerous times since the season ended, it is a glaring statistic, as that number is historically bad. With a defensive tackle leading the way with four in Maurice Hurst, the Raiders need to inject talent into this position group, an area that has seen some big-name pending free agents get the franchise tag in Dee Ford, Jadeveon Clowney, and DeMarcus Lawrence as of late.
With the No. 4 overall selection, the Raiders could have their choice of a number of talented players, especially if teams move up to get a quarterback. One of the better all-around edge rushers in this draft class is Josh Allen, who had nothing but good things to say about the Raiders during the Combine, and would be an absolute perfect fit in Paul Guenther’s 4-3 scheme.