Ranking the Las Vegas Raiders 2022 rookie class based on impact
No. 5: Matthew Butler
Butler, the 6-foot-4, 297-pound defensive tackle out of Tennessee has the physical attributes that allow him the flexibility of playing in both a 3-4 and 4-3 defense that can change from week to week. Butler, who is skilled against the run has been working on his pass rush improvement and started to show flashes last season at Tennessee.
Where Butler will earn his chops is against the run, an area where the Raiders showed several deficiencies in 2021 earning them a rank in the bottom third in rush defense. Butler comes into a young defensive tackle room with only one starter in Johnathan Hankins returning, allowing Butler to earn playing time in camp.
No. 4: Brittain Brown
The 7th round pick out of UCLA joins an already deep running back stable in which Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake, and 3rd round pick Zamir Wright round out a three-headed monster. Brown looks to potentially be a practice squad pick-up depending on how well he fares in camp amongst his competition.
While it may be unlikely that Brittain Brown earns a roster spot, it is widely known that Josh McDaniels does highly value running backs as his teams have had a great deal of success with rotating backfields to keep defenses honest and not utilizing a singular feature back. Where Brown will need to place his focus is on special teams, becoming a key contributor on special teams can help him earn a roster spot and foster an opportunity for further growth.