New head coach Klint Kubiak announced that the team will switch to a 3-4 base defense in the first year under defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. Despite making tons of improvements to the defense this offseason, many feel that the Las Vegas Raiders have a massive hole in the middle of the front.
While John Spytek has done a great job at addressing all three levels of the defense, pundits have noticed that the team has not added a two-gapping nose tackle, which is pivotal in a 3-4. There has been plenty of speculation that Las Vegas could even use a Day 2 pick to address the need.
That may not be as necessary as fans have thought, however, due to the offseason move to acquire nickel cornerback Taron Johnson. Cody Alexander recently detailed why that trade could provide a hint at the Raiders' defensive plans, and why targeting a true nose tackle isn't as pivotal as it seems.
Rob Leonard's Raiders defense may not need to make big investment at NT
The day before the legal tampering period, the Raiders acquired Johnson and a seventh-round pick from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The 2023 All-Pro has missed nine games over the last two years and became expendable in Buffalo due to their cap situation.
Alexander, a football guru and NFL expert, recently appeared on Jesse Merrick's Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, where he suggested that the move for Johnson could indicate that Las Vegas won't be in a base 3-4 formation too often.
"I would rather have a guy that I can play on first down, knowing that he can take a double team (and) will be fine. But if he adds a little bit of juice if it's second and long or it's first down -- and we see a lot in the NFL, a first down pass -- to me, that adds value, mentality," Alexander explained about players on the defensive interior. "You didn't bring Taron Johnson on to not play. And I think that's the other thing, too. You have the setup already again. Just because it says 3-4 doesn't mean that that's what you're going to live in. There's plenty of 3-4 defenses that play mostly nickel, which is a four-down front."
While Johnson wasn't expensive to require, he does have a cap hit of $8.7 million in 2026. He has also been one of the league's top nickel cornerbacks when healthy, and, as Alexander noted, Las Vegas didn't bring him in to sit on the bench.
NFL defenses are only in base formation around 30% of the time, and while it would be great to have a true 0-tech nose tackle, it may not be as much of a necessity as fans initially thought, considering that player might only then be on the field 30% of the time.
While Jonah Laulu and Tonka Hemingway are likely too small to lineup at the 0-tech, Adam Butler, Thomas Booker IV, JJ Pegues, and Brodric Martin should all be able to fill the void internally. None of them are true nose tackles, but they can combine to slide over on less than a third of the snaps.
Now, that doesn't mean that the Raiders shouldn't address the position at all in the draft. If Leonard plans to operate out of nickel more than the base formation, however, using a Day 2 pick to fill the need is simply not the wisest of investments if that player has no ability to play every down.
When drafting on Day 2, a team should be looking for players who can be on the field as much as possible. Potential Day 2 options, such as Lee Hunter and Domonique Orange, have both played nose tackle and more of a traditional 3-5 tech, so they could still fit the bill. So, it's all about versatility.
While adding a true nose tackle would provide a boost against the run, one can't help but wonder if investing such a high draft pick in a player who won't be on the field for even half the defensive plays is worth it, regardless of how talented they may be.
Ultimately, the Raiders must do their due diligence on every draft prospect. However, the move to acquire Johnson may lead to the team lining up in nickel far more than the base 3-4 formation, making a major investment at nose tackle not as big a need.