3 pass rushers Raiders can target after injuries to Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson

In the most Raiders way possible, we're quite literally one (1) game into the 2024 NFL season and already talking about injury replacements. And not only that, but we're talking about injury replacements for a group that was widely considered to be the deepest unit on the roster. Football sure is fun!

The team has known for a while now that they'd be without Malcom Koonce to start the season – they put him on IR before Week 1, meaning he'll miss at least the first four games of the year with his knee injury. There was some (very) cautious optimism that Tyree Wilson could finally take the proverbial next step and fill in for Koonce as the Raiders' second-best pass rusher, but that dream died on the vine: Wilson suffered a knee injury of his own against the Chargers, and is now expected to miss some time as well.

As long as Maxx Crosby is rushing off the edge and Christian Wilkins is eating up double teams inside, the Raiders' line will probably be okay. But considering what they were expected to be, 'okay' feels wildly underwhelming. Plus, the team's already openly admitted that they're looking to bring some guys in for help in the meantime. So here are three options they could consider.

Yannick Ngakoue and the Raiders make a ton of sense for now

1. Yannick Ngakoue

Surprise! Ngakoue was talked about as a viable option for the Raiders throughout the offseason, and the fact that he's still available speaks to how wise it was of the team not to listen to a bunch of people on the internet. To be clear, expectations should be tempered: free agent pass rushers are still available in Week 2 for a reason, and Ngakoue looked like a shell of himself during his 13-game stint with the Bears last season. The second-best season of his career came with the Raiders, so there's always going to be that temptation to run it back. If his ankle is actually healthy again, he's exactly the kind of reliable(ish) pass rusher that could be a 2nd or 3rd option for the next month. Admittedly this is a lot of mental gymnastics, but that's what replacement blogs are all about, baby.

2. Shaq Lawson

I'm not sure how much this is a 'good' idea versus just 'an' idea. But Lawson's available! The former Bills pass rusher just turned 30, so it's not like he's entirely beyond his athletic peak. He's never been an elite pass rusher, but he had multiple sacks in every season of his career up until last year, so you know, generally speaking, what you'd get from him. According to Pro Football Focus, Lawson was even an above-average run defender as recently as two years ago; his pass-rushing's been mediocre since about 2019, but the Raiders will absolutely take a mediocre EDGE3 who's decent against the run. And the name recognition is right up the Raiders' alley.

3. Myjai Sanders

This is, I guess, technically possible. Sanders was a third rounder in 2022 and is now looking for his third team, which is kinda wild. He was cut after spending most of his rookie season with the Cardinals on IR, then didn't make much of an impact with the Texans. His rookie season – 23 tackles, three sacks, one fumble recovery and a forced fumble – wasn't awful, and makes you sorta wonder what he could do on a line with Crosby and Wilkins. His sophomore season – 7 tackles, 0 sacks, no forced fumbles or recoveries – makes you stop wondering that. Sanders is somehow the dice roll option on a list with *Yannick Ngakoue and Shaq Lawson* but maybe the upside is there! Could it be that much worse than Wilson?