Las Vegas Raiders projected Defensive starters
Looking at the current roster, the cornerback and safety position battles will be the most competitive. Linebackers are intriguing as well. Also wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Raiders added another cornerback or safety via free agency or trade for more depth and competition by the time September comes around.
Up front, the Raiders are going to be strong, and could have one of the best defensive lines in all of football. The addition of Christian Wilkins at defensive tackle is going to help free Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce coming off the edge, and it should also help in the development of Tyree Wilson, the team's 2023 first-round pick.
Tommy Eichenberg is going to battle for a starting job at linebacker as a rookie, and Decamerion Richardson should also fight for a job at cornerback in Year 1. Overall, Las Vegas did a nice job adding some young talent to the defense in the draft, and those guys could end up being backbone players for years to come.
Here is our projected defense for the Raiders in Week 1.
LE Maxx Crosby
DT Christian Wilkins
DT Tyree Wilson
RE Malcolm Koonce
LOLB Divine Deablo
MLB Robert Spillane
ROLB Luke Masterson
CB1 Jack Jones
CB2 Nate Hobbs
FS Tre’Von Moehrig
SS Marcus Epps
The specialists will remain the same, as long-snapper Jacob Bobemoyer, kicker Daniel Carlson, and AJ Cole all return in 2024.