Oakland Raiders interior defensive line not lacking depth
By Brad Weiss
The Oakland Raiders defense has been vastly improved this offseason, and their interior defensive line finally has legitimate depth.
During the 2018 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders made it a priority to bring in talent along the interior of their defensive line. With Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin seemingly cemented at the defensive end positions, general manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach Jon Gruden went to work on the defensive tackle spots.
In the second round, the team brought in P.J. Hall, who got a ton of experience as a rookie in 2018. In the fifth round, Oakland rolled the dice on Maurice Hurst, who was projected as a first round talent before a heart issue was detected at the NFL Scouting Combine.
During the 2018 season, Hurst proved himself to be a first-round talent, leading the Raiders in sacks, while showing himself to be a dominant presence along the defensive line. In a season with very little highs, Hurst established himself as a budding superstar, and will lead a defensive tackle group that is not lacking in depth in 2019.
Outside of Hurst and Hall, the Raiders also extended Justin Ellis in 2018, though he would miss most of the year due to injury. One player who did miss the entire 2018 season was Eddie Vanderdoes, the team’s third round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
With Vanderdoes and Ellis on the shelf, Johnathan Hankins got a chance to prove his worth with the Silver and Black in 2018, and he returns for another go-around in 2019.
Vanderdoes is going to be the wildcard this summer, as he looked so good at times as a rookie, but has not played in a regular season game since tearing his ACL in the season finale back in 2017. This is a Raiders team that finally has some depth in the interior of their defensive line, and there will be some guys fighting for this lives when training camp kicks off in July.
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Hurst, Hall, Ellis, and Hankins have their spots written in stone in my opinion, and it will be up to Vanderdoes to show he is healthy. Remember, he is only 24-years old, and is very talented, so the Raiders have a problem on their hands that they have not had in a long time in the fact that some good players will be cut this summer.