The Raiders’ linebacker play was much better than anticipated last season. Heading into the year, that was viewed as the team’s biggest weakness. But Robert Spillane Divine Deablo certainly stepped up in a big way in 2023.
But going into the 2024 season, could the linebackers still be the defense’s Achilles’ heel? Or are the Raiders OK at that spot?
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked all 32 linebacker corps heading into the 2024 season. The Raiders came in right around league average, ranking at No. 15. Here is what the site had to say about the unit:
Robert Spillane thrived for the Raiders in his first full season as a starter, earning a 77.1 PFF grade on 1,100 snaps to rank tied for 17th in the league. Divine Deablo is a good tackler, having missed just 6.0% of his career attempts.
Rookie Tommy Eichenberg could prove to be a steal. The fifth-round draft pick earned an 86.8 PFF grade at Ohio State in 2022 before having a down year in his final season in college in 2023.
The Raiders are hoping that Spillane and Deablo can take another step in 2024, but don’t be surprised if Eichenberg finds his way onto the field sooner rather than later. He is a rock-solid tackler who can take on blocks in the run game.
The Raiders finally have quality depth at the linebacker spot and multiple good starters. For the first time in decades, the Raiders are set in the middle of the field on defense.
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