If the Raiders are going to be successful on defense this year, their pass rush is going to need to be elite. The Raiders are pretty young and inexperienced at linebacker and cornerback and they’ll need their pass rush to cover up for them.
Luckily, the defensive end position might just be the strongest on the team. In a recent article by ESPN, they ranked each positional group from 1-32 and one position that the Raiders ranked highly was at EDGE (No. 7).
Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones are one of the best tandems in the league and the addition of Tyree Wilson only strengthens the unit. Here is a snippet of what ESPN had to say about the trio and if the Raiders could have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL:
Maxx Crosby has emerged as one of the league’s best edge rushers, with 37.5 sacks during his first four seasons. Chandler Jones is now 33 years old and wasn’t quite as dominant in 2022, but he’s still a difference-maker.
Even if Jones takes another step back, waiting in the wings is first-round rookie Tyree Wilson. The rest of this defense is shaky, so this trio will have a lot on its shoulders.
Wilson is the wild card for the Raiders as he has yet to practice. But the hope is that he’ll be ready for Week 1 and will give the unit even more size and athleticism.
By now, we know what to expect from Crosby and Jones. But if Wilson can have a productive rookie season, there is no reason why this can’t be one of the most fearsome pass rushes in the NFL.
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