Las Vegas Raiders: What must become a reality to make the playoffs in 2023
- 2. Defense must step up and play smarter and faster
I’m not going to go overboard, however, I will say I don’t think the Raiders defense will be historically bad this season. I think they’ll be mediocre, somewhere in the top 13-16 overall range, but I think they will be solid, and good enough to get the job done in games and able to play at their best when the team needs them to most.
In the offseason this defense beefed up the defensive line, bringing back Jerry Tillery and also adding defensive tackles’ John Jenkins and Jordan Willis. They also added first-round draft pick defensive end Tyree Wilson, and late-round draft pick defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera. Also, keep an eye on undrafted rookie defensive tackle Adam Plant Jr.
Las Vegas added former Eagles safety Marcus Epps to play alongside Trevon Moehrig at the safety spot, and bolstered the cornerback room with Jakorian Bennett, Duke Shelley, and David Long Jr. That should make the Raiders defensive backfield much better than it was a year ago.
The point is, I think this defense will finally take a big step forward and improve this season. If they play fast and aggressively I believe they will be solid enough to consistently win games.