Raiders need to continue to address the defense in the NFL Draft and free agency

Going into this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders knew they needed to do something to address the defensive side of the ball in a big way. During the 2023 NFL season, the Raiders saw their defense take their potential to new heights, as the second year under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham yielded great results.

This offseason, the Raiders made a huge move for the defense, adding defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to the mix. The kind of defensive tackle that can take over a game at any moment, Wilkins notched nine sacks this past season, a career high, and now enters an even better situation than the one he had with the Miami Dolphins with the Raiders.

Still, even with the arrival of Wilkins, more changes are coming, as the team lost Amik Robertson in free agency to the Detroit Lions. While not a star player, Robertson has played a key role at cornerback in the Raiders defensive backfield in recent years, and additions must be made at that position group.

In addition, more depth at defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety are needed this offseason, so expect plenty of moves to be made on that side of the ball this offseason still.

Raiders could target a cornerback on Day 1 of the NFL Draft

Recent mock drafts are all over the place in terms of what position the Raiders could target on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Early on, many had Illinois Johnny Newton being the pick at No. 13 overall, but with the arrival of Wilkins, Las Vegas could turn their attention to cornerback in the first round.

Last season, the arrival of Jack Jones gave the Raiders a quality option as the CB1 for Las Vegas, but he needs a lot of help this year. Nate Hobbs will return at slot cornerback, but a player like Terrion Arnold from Alabama or Nate Wiggins from Clemson could be a perfect pick for the Raiders on Day 1.

Depth will also be needed at linebacker, but that is a position the team could target on Day 2 or 3 this offseason. One thing is for sure, Tom Telesco is not done building up a Raiders defense that could be one of the best in the NFL next season.