Oakland Raiders pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction
By Sanjit T.
Defensive Line(9): Maxx Crosby, Clelin Ferrell, Arden Key, Josh Mauro, Justin Ellis, P.J. Hall, Johnathan Hankins, Maurice Hurst, Eddie Vanderdoes
The Raiders have a pretty deep defensive line this season. Although young, Arden Key, Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, P.J. Hall, and Maurice Hurst could make up one of the best defensive lines in the league, in a few seasons. Of course, Oakland must coach the young guys up. All 5 of these young players are expected to make the team and contribute to certain situations.
Hankins and Ellis are run defenders, while Hall, Hurst, and Vanderdoes can be better pass rush options. The Defensive ends are also very similar. Mauro and Ferrell can play rundowns, while Crosby and Key are more pass rush specialists.
Overall, the Raiders knew they needed to improve the pass rush this offseason, and they certainly focused on bringing in more talent off the edge during the 2019 NFL Draft. This is a unit that should show major improvement from last season, as Hurst, Hall, and Key look to continue to get better in Year No. 2 at the NFL level.