The Las Vegas Raiders added a ton of talent to their defensive line this offseason, and Maurice Hurst could end up benefiting in a big way.
Going into the 2018 NFL Draft, many felt that Maurice Hurst from the University of Michigan was a first-round talent. The problem for Hurst was, a heart issue was detected at the NFL Scouting Combine, and that forced him to fall all the way down to the fifth round, where the then-Oakland Raiders were waiting with open arms.
Fully healthy and ready to go as a rookie, Hurst flashed some signs that made Raiders fans very happy that the team decided to take a chance on him. Now, entering his fourth season, Hurst has gotten better every year, and with more talent around him in 2021, the expectation is that he is in for his best season yet.
Raiders have bolstered the defensive line
The Las Vegas Raiders made it a priority to bolster their defensive line this offseason, including off the edge, where they made Yannick Ngakoue their biggest free agency signing. This is a guy who will certainly help the Raiders get to the quarterback, and Maxx Crosby should benefit big time from having him on the other side of the line.
In the interior, Hurst will certainly benefit from the arrival of Ngakoue as well, as he has pass-rushing ability himself, and with more talent around him, should be able to find some easier matchups. Las Vegas also took a flier on guys like Quinton Jefferson and Solomon Thomas upfront, as well as brought back David Irving and Johnathan Hankins, so as a group, this is a much-improved unit over last season.
The Raiders have a brand new defensive coordinator this season in Gus Bradley, so that is something to be excited about as well. For Hurst, the arrival of so much talent around him should enable him to go back to putting up the kind of statistics he did as a rookie, forcing fumbles, getting sacks, and swatting the ball away when quarterbacks try and throw it over his head.
When all is said and done, he is one of my favorite candidates to make their first Pro Bowl in 2021.