Grading the first half of defensive players brought in this free agency
Bilal Nichols, DT
- Grade: B+
- Contract: 2y, $11m
The Las Vegas Raiders went into free agency needing a pair of starting defensive tackles, and Nichols is the first one they grabbed. The defensive tackle is a great 3-4 nose tackle, which defensive coordinator Patrick Graham primarily runs, who has plenty of pass-rushing skills.
Although Graham’s defensive base is technically a 3-4, don’t let that fool you; Graham doesn’t believe in sticking to one base formation. In fact, the Raiders’ new defensive coordinator believes the 4-3 vs 3-4 proposition is outdated, and teams need to be able to run both if they want to succeed.
With this in mind, the Raiders will need to grab another starting-caliber defensive tackle at some point, but for now, Nichols is a good player at a good price.