After a fantastic rookie season in which he recorded four sacks in 10 starts, it would appear the defensive tackle Maurice Hurst has taken some steps backward this season. Through 12 games, Hurst has been in the starting lineup just twice and has recorded only 15 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
However, the raw stats don’t really tell the whole story as Hurst has been a much better player than the numbers indicate.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hurst has actually been one of the better pass-rushing defensive tackles in the NFL. Hurst is currently winning on 17.2 percent of his pass-rush snaps, which is the fourth-most in the NFL. Take a look at some comparable players via Pro Football Focus:
Aaron Donald is simply unmatched as a pass rusher from the interior defensive line 😤 pic.twitter.com/9C8xnLFi1M
— PFF (@PFF) December 6, 2019
Without a doubt, Hurst has been Oakland’s best interior rusher this season. If he can start to convert some of his pressures and hurries into sacks, that would help turn this defense around.
How well Hurst plays over the next month will be a fascinating storyline to watch as he has the talent to take over games. Hurst playing well could help Oakland make a playoff push over the next few games.
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