Las Vegas Raiders 2023 training camp: Roster battles to keep an eye on

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2. Defensive Tackle

For the second offseason in a row, the Las Vegas Raiders added to the interior of their defensive line in hopes of finding the right pieces to take the pressure off of Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, and Tyree Wilson coming off the edge. Last offseason, the Raiders added two draft picks in Neil Farrell Jr. and Matthew Butler, while also adding Jerry Tillery and Bilal Nichols as veterans.

This offseason, Ziegler and his staff continued to stack talent on the interior, re-signing Tillery to a new deal, and spending two of nine draft picks on the defensive tackle position. The biggest draft pick being Byron Young, a dominant figure from the University of Alabama who was the No. 70 overall pick in 2023.

The Raiders also added John Jenkins via free agency this offseason, so overall, there is more than enough talent vying for the two starting spots in Patrick Graham's defense. The hope is that the veterans can hold it down while allowing the younger players to get valuable experience during Year 1 and 2.

Young is going to push for playing time, as are Farrell and Butler, who have looked good this spring going into their second season in the league. It will be interesting to see if the veterans can stave off the younger players for starting jobs, but also to see what defensive tackles end up cracking the 53-man roster.

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