The Raiders have done a really good job of adding talent and depth to their defense this offseason. Obviously, the Christian Wilkins deal was the biggest, but even the selection of Tommy Eichenberg at linebacker gives them another hard-nose player in the middle of their defense.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Raiders appear to be “set” on defense. However, you can never have too many pass rushers.
In a recent article by Aaron Schatz of ESPN, he discussed the one move that every team needs to make before the start of the 2024 season. For the Raiders, that was bringing in one more pass rusher. Schatz suggested Yannick Ngakoue, a former Raider who is still a free agent:
The Raiders have a superstar edge rusher in Maxx Crosby but a real depth problem behind him. Right now, the plan is to move Tyree Wilson inside, leaving Malcolm Koonce starting on the edge. Koonce had a surprisingly strong season in 2023, with eight sacks and 31 pressures against defenses that were busy double-teaming Crosby.
Behind him, though, are all veteran journeymen and young free agents. If the Raiders bring in Ngakoue, they’ll have a steady veteran edge rusher who can rotate with Koonce and give the team something if Crosby or Koonce miss time with an injury.
Ngakoue isn’t much of a run defender and is really just a pass-rush specialist, but the Raiders have a need at that spot. Ngakoue isn’t looking to be a full-time starter at this stage of his career and would provide some insurance if Koonce can’t take a step forward.
The Raiders should look to add another pass rusher in free agency before the season. Ngakoue is a natural fit, but some other options are available (Carl Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah) that would make sense for Las Vegas. Look for the Raiders to continue to explore the veteran pass-rush market before training camp starts later in July.
