There is a lot of optimism surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders going into training camp, and for good reasons. Pete Carroll has added excitement and energy to a franchise that desperately needed it, and the addition of Geno Smith gives the Raiders a viable quarterback for the first time in several years.
The Raiders also have a superstar tight end in Brock Bowers, coming off an All-Pro season, and they’ve now added Ashton Jeanty to give the offense even more juice. While no one is predicting the Raiders to win the Super Bowl or even win the AFC West, this is a franchise that appears to be heading in the right direction for the first time in forever.
There are big question marks for the Raiders on the defensive side of the ball after a season in which they finished 25th in points allowed per game. For the Raiders to be a viable contender in 2025, they will need that unit to finish closer to the league average.
Raiders need Tommy Eichenberg to step up at linebacker in 2025
For the defense to finish closer to the league average, they will need several young players to step up and replace the veterans who were lost in free agency this offseason. That includes linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who will get the chance to replace recently departed Robert Spillane.
Eichenberg was just a part-time player in Las Vegas last season, but the expectation is that he could earn more snaps this season, especially as the strong-side linebacker. Las Vegas does have several veterans at the position going into camp, including Elandon Roberts, Devin White, and Jaylon Smith. But they desperately need one of their young linebackers to step up, and Eichenberg will have every opportunity to earn a role right away.
Several draft analysts loved Eichenberg in the pre-draft process and thought he would project as a future NFL starter. That list included Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who was very high on the former Ohio State star. He is a snippet of what he had to say about Eichenberg coming into the league:
"Eichenberg is passionate and tough with the desired mindset of an inside linebacker," Zierlein wrote. "While he plays with good physicality at the point of attack, he’s more of a fit-and-fill linebacker than one who will make plays and disrupt what the offense is trying to do in the run game. He’s a straight-line mover lacking ideal bend, speed and agility for open-field tackling and coverage duties. The production looks great, but it might not translate into a long-term NFL run."
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Coverage is always going to be a problem for Eichenberg due to his lack of athleticism, and that played out during his rookie season. But that doesn’t mean he can’t improve. Robert Spillane is a worse athlete and really struggled in coverage before arriving to Las Vegas.
The same can be said for Denzel Perryman, who turned into a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker under Patrick Graham. And fans should give credit to Graham for his ability to develop linebackers. The Raiders have consistently given him lackluster talent, and he’s managed to get the group to play above their heads.
If Graham can do the same for Eichenberg and the rest of the linebackers in 2025, this defense can drastically outperform expectations. Eichenberg is primed for a Year 2 breakout, especially now that he knows the system better than any other linebacker on the roster. Don’t be surprised if Eichenberg has a strong training camp and preseason and works his way into the starting lineup.