Raiders young core makes them NFL’s premier head coach landing spot
The defense
On defense, the Raiders really have a chance to build something special. After the drastic improvement brought on by defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, Raiders fans finally got to experience an NFL defense that wasn’t flat-out embarrassing. Much of the reason for this success was due to a talented young core that, luckily for Raider Nation, will be around for years to come.
In the final draft of Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden’s tenure, the Raiders certainly had their struggles. After all, was there a worse pick than Alex Leatherwood in round one?
However, the Raiders did manage to find some incredible steals on the defensive side. Second-round pick Trevon Moehrig was fantastic as a rookie. Often playing as the single high safety in Gus Bradley’s cover three system, he excelled at limiting big plays.
The best selection of the Raiders 2021 class was undoubtedly the fifth-round pick Nate Hobbs. One of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL as a rookie, Hobbs will be a fixture in Las Vegas for years to come. Both Moehrig and Hobbs were selected to PFF’s All-Rookie team.
Perhaps the best building block on the Las Vegas Raiders is defensive end, Maxx Crosby. An All-Pro selection last season, Maxx Crosby led the entire NFL with 101 pressures. Simply, he was establishing what Raiders fans already knew: that Maxx Crosby is a superstar.
So much so that going forward, the entire defense will likely be built around him. He is the best player on the defense by a wide margin and, stunningly, is only improving.
Raiders go on the defensive in latest 3-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders can build on their defensive success from last season with this year's draft, and here is our 3-round mock.
As mentioned, the Las Vegas Raiders are hardly a finished product. They have much work to do at WR, CB, and offensive line. Depending on who you ask they also might need a quarterback. Regardless of the weak points on the team currently, the Raiders can offer a new head coach blue-chip talent that is among the league’s best.