The Las Vegas Raiders didn't bring back much defensive talent this offseason, as Pete Carroll and John Spytek clearly had a different vision for the team. The one thing they kept intact, however, was the defensive line.
After all, this group was expected to be one of the best in the NFL last season, but injuries derailed the room before they could ever get going. But the new regime gave them another chance, extending Maxx Crosby and re-signing Adam Butler this offseason on a multi-year deal.
Christian Wilkins obviously left the organization in disgrace in mid-July, and that was the first domino to fall for this underwhelming defensive line group. Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson have flashed as well, but lacked consistency, which is another issue, but Butler's slow start has flown under the radar.
Raiders need to get to the bottom of Adam Butler's slow start
In fairness to Butler, his role on the defense is not necessarily catered toward being a star and making splashy plays that jump off the screen. But even though Crosby has described him as a "selfless superstar" before, Butler made big plays throughout the last two years in Las Vegas.
He recorded 10.0 sacks, had six batted passes and two forced fumbles in 2023 and 2024, but he has yet to make a similar big-play impact in 2025. Butler fell on a fumble in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but outside of that, he has been relatively quiet.
It's not truly fair to assess a defensive tackle based on the box score, but it's fair to compare his production from this year to last year. In 2024, he recorded 65 total tackles, and this year, he's on pace for 54, which is 11 less.
Butler also has 0 sacks this season, and according to Pro Football Focus, his win rate has dropped from 7.0% to 5.8%. To make matters worse, his win rate is far lower than Thomas Booker IV's 10.6%, and Jonah Laulu has just one less pressure in 50 fewer snaps.
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Part of this drop in production may be a slight shift in Butler's alignment. Last season, he was moved around a lot more, playing 62.2% of his snaps between the 2i and the 3 technique, and about 21.0% at the right defensive end spot. This year, he's been pigeonholed more, playing 76.7% of his snaps between the 2i and 3 technique, and only 10.4% at the right defensive end spot.
Lining up more on the interior has likely prevented him from making more noise as a pass-rusher, and his predictability in alignment is making things easier for opposing offensive lines to diagnose. Butler was given a three-year, $16.5 million deal this offseason to be a difference-maker for this defensive line, and he hasn't been thus far.
While his change in role and responsibilities is likely taking some time to get used to, the Raiders need him to start being a bigger factor. When Butler is playing at his best, he's a catalyst for the rest of the group by eating up double teams and freeing edge rushers like Crosby, Koonce and Wilson.
If he and the team can find a way to get Butler back to doing that, then this Las Vegas defensive line may start living up to expectations. A failure to do so, however, may result in an underwhelming campaign that doesn't get the most out of all the players in the group.