Over the offseason, the Raiders identified the linebacker position as their biggest need on defense. That is why they attacked the position so heavily in free agency, signing not one, but two veteran linebackers.
The first signing was Pro Bowler Cory Littleton, who played the first four seasons of his career with the Rams. Unfortunately, that signing hasn’t panned out well yet as he has struggled mightily over the first five weeks. According to Pro Football Focus, Littleton has graded out as the fifth-worst linebacker in the NFL through five weeks. The team is certainly hoping he can bounce back soon, but he’s off to a rough start in the Silver and Black.
The second linebacker the team signed was Nick Kwiatkoski, formerly of the Chicago Bears. During his time in Chicago, he was a part-time player but showed enough potential and promise that Mike Mayock and company decided to gamble on him. The team signed him to a lucrative deal to become a full-time starter for the first time in his career.
That move is already paying dividends as Kwiatkoski is performing like an All-Pro at the position. He had a career day on Sunday in Week 5, dominating in coverage against the Chiefs. He also made several “splash” plays in the run game to help the Raiders get off the field.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kwiatkoski currently ranks as the sites No. 8 linebacker in the NFL through the first five weeks of the season:
Nick Kwiatkoski had his best game so far as a Raider on Sunday 💪
– 83.0 overall grade
– 89.1 coverage grade
– targeted twice and recorded 2 PBUs for a 39.6 passer rating when targeted 👀His ranks among LBs in 2020:
– 78.1 overall grade (8th)
– 84.4 coverage grade (6th) pic.twitter.com/AAGyT8MG9f— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) October 13, 2020
After being injured in Week 1 and missing a few contests after that, the Raiders’ defense suffered mightily. Kwiatkoski might just be their best defensive player and his speed and athleticism allow them to match up with any offense.
If Kwiatkoski can keep up this pace and stay on the field, he should receive Pro Bowl honors for his play. You can make a strong case that he’s been Mike Mayock’s best signing so far as he has helped transform this defense. If the Raiders can get Littleton back to his Pro Bowl level of play, the Raiders could have one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL.
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