Oakland Raiders could start two rookies at defensive end
By Brad Weiss
With the addition of Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby via the 2019 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders could be starting rookies at both DE spots this Fall.
Prior to the 2018 offseason, the Oakland Raiders looked to be set at the defensive end position. Generational talent Khalil Mack was locked up for the 2018 season, and his No. 2, Bruce Irvin was coming off a season that saw him tie a career-high with eight sacks.
Then came the trade, as the Raiders sent Mack to the Chicago Bears for draft picks, leaving them with a big hole atop the depth chart at defensive end. At first, it looked like Irvin was going to step up and lead the group in Mack’s absence, as he said all the right things early on, but he quickly looked like a shell of himself in the regular season.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Raiders added Arden Key from LSU in the third round, and the original expectation was that he would be the No. 3 guy behind Mack and Irvin, and get in there on situational-pass rush plays. However, with Mack gone, and Irvin being released during the season, Key quickly ascended up the depth chart.
Key played well as a rookie, and actually showed some flashes that he could get after the quarterback, but he just was not ready to be thrust into that role. In 2019, he could end up in the role he originally was drafted to be in, as a guy who can pin his ears back and get after the quarterback on obvious passing downs.
In fact, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther recently told Vic Tafur of the Athletic that Key could be in that role this season, which means someone else will have to start opposite first round pick Clelin Ferrell at defensive end.
Looking at the roster, the next man up could be Maxx Crosby, a fantastic pass rusher from Eastern Michigan who the Raiders took in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Crosby has the kind of motor that Guenther loves, and if he can add more strength this summer, Oakland could roll with both Ferrell and Crosby in the starting lineup, which would be two rookies.
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This is a group that mustered only 13 sacks as a team in 2018, with a defensive tackle in Maurice Hurst leading the way with four. Revamping this position was a must this offseason, and new general manager Mike Mayock did a nice job bringing in guys at the position, but this is definitely still one of the biggest question marks heading into the summer.