It’s no secret that the Raiders have to improve their pass rush this offseason. But how they go about doing that will be very interesting. Do they try to improve the interior defensive line with someone like Christian Barmore from Alabama in the first round of the NFL Draft? Or, do they look at an edge rusher who could potentially rotate with Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby?
If the Raiders decide to look at edge rushers, one name that has to be considered is Jaelan Phillips of Miami. Coming into the college ranks, he was one of the highest-rated defensive end prospects of all-time. But after numerous injuries, he was forced to retire for a year, only to return to Miami in 2020.
Phillips was absolutely dominant on the field this season, recording 15.5 tackles for a loss and eight sacks in 10 games. According to Pro Football Focus, he tallied 29 hurries on 286 pass-rush snaps. Not only did he grade out as a great pass-rusher, but he also finished as one of the better run defenders in the nation.
In a recent mock draft by Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN, he mocked Philips to the Raiders at No. 17. Here is what Kiper had to say about the possible pairing:
“This is a strange draft in that there are no dominant pass-rushers. Phillips could be the top edge prospect, and I have only a mid-first-round grade on him. But he had a dominant season for the Hurricanes after transferring from UCLA, where he had ended his career because of concussion issues. The former five-star prospect missed the 2019 season and then ended up at Miami, where he had 5.5 sacks in his final three games. Depending on his medical checks, Phillips could rise even higher. The Raiders, meanwhile, had one of the NFL’s worst pass rushes again (21 sacks, fourth-worst) and got only two sacks from former No. 4 overall pick Clelin Ferrell.”
If you ignore the potential medical concerns, Phillips has elite tape that usually translates into a top-10 selection. But a history of concussions and other injuries could lead to him falling down the board. Phillips could be a potential selection for the Raiders at No. 17 as he is a perfect fit in Gus Bradley’s defense.
[lawrence-newsletter]