The Las Vegas Raiders have taken a chance on Solomon Thomas, and the hope is that he can stay healthy, and finally reach his potential.
The Las Vegas Raiders went into free agency needing to upgrade on all three levels of their defense, this after Mike Mayock said that they were missing playmakers at every position group. Early in free agency, the Raiders landed a playmaker, bringing in Yannick Ngakoue, a guy the team had coveted for quite some time.
With Ngakoue in the fold, the Raiders should improve in the sacks category, although it won’t be hard to do after racking up only 21 as a team in 2020. In the interior of the defensive line, the Raiders decided to roll the dice on a few players, including Solomon Thomas, who was once the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The good thing about Thomas is the fact that he is only 25 years old, but he did tear his ACL during the 2020 NFL season, although it was early on. The hope is that Thomas can not only come into camp healthy but also ready to realize his potential, as he has all the physical gifts you look for in a dominant defensive tackle.
Raiders have bolstered the defensive tackle spot
Outside of Thomas, the Raiders also brought in Quinton Jefferson at defensive tackle, and have re-signed Johnathan Hankins. Maurice Hurst returns for his fourth season, and he has steadily improved across his short NFL career, and is a player I feel could earn his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021.
In Thomas, the Raiders have brought on a player who was once considered a future star, and sometimes a fresh start is exactly what a player needs to turn his career around.
Las Vegas has made a concerted effort to get better up front along the defensive line, and the linebacker group is solid if Cory Littleton improves in Year 2 in the Silver and Black. Their next task is attacking the secondary as they wrap up free agency, and hit the 2021 NFL Draft if they really want to revamp this entire defense heading into next season.