Where’s the Beef: A look at the Oakland Raiders Defensive Line

  On paper, the Oakland Raiders defensive-line looks thin which does not bode well for the perennial weak defense of the silver-and-black. Reggie McKenzie decided to pass on a defensive-lineman during the first few rounds of the NFL draft and he looks content going into the season with the current crop of underachievers. With the departures of Desmond Bryant, Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly, Oakland Raiders defensive-lineman Lamarr Houston will enter training camp as the elder statesman of the Raiders front-seven. Not only will Houston be expected to take on a leadership role on the team he is also expected to be the Raiders most important player on defense. Joining Houston on the defensive line will be Andre Carter, David Bass, Christo Bilukdi, Jack Crawford, Jason Hunter, Stacy McGee, Pat Sims, and Vance Walker. In order for the Raiders defense to become successful, Houston will need to have a huge year because he is the Raiders best interior pass rusher, as well as their best defensive end. Houston will be the anchor of the front seven when the Raiders run multiple schemes as he will be expected to lineup as both a defensive tackle and defensive ends during the season. Essentially Houston will finally fill the role that Richard Seymour was supposed to fill, when Al Davis traded for Seymour a few years ago. Veterans Jason Hunter and Andre Carter are expected to play important roles as pass rushing defensive ends. The 6’4 271 pound Hunter has the ability to play a 3-4 OLB as well as a 4-3 defensive end. While Hunter has not shown the ability to be a game changer on defense, he is probably going to become a solid starter for the Raiders. Last season the Raiders picked up Carter from the scrap heap because of Carters injuries. In 2011, Carter had a career resurgence with the Patriots by getting 10 sacks. In order for the Raiders to get any sort of pass rush this season they better hope that Carter looks like the 2011 version of himself. Former rotational players with their former teams, Vance Walker and Pat Sims are expected become the starting defensive tackles for the Raiders. The 6’2 305 pound Vance Walker could end up being this season’s version of Phillip Wheeler. Walker has shown flashes of greatness with the Falcons by plugging of holes and even getting some burst in the pass rush. If Walker lives up to his potential I expect him to be a starting defensive tackle for the silver-and-black for years to come. Former Cincinnati Bengals Pat Sims is a strict run stuffing defensive tackle. Although he battled through injuries during his career, Sims has shown the ability to be a solid defensive tackle. Second year players Christo Bilukdi and Jack Crawford must step up this season for the Raiders. 2012 6th round pick out of Georgia State Bilukdi played as low level depth player last year for the Raiders. Surprisingly head coach Dennis Allen had Bilukdi lineup with the first team during off-season OTA’s. While Bilukdi will not start for the Raiders this year he will be a key rotational player for the Raiders. The 6’5 Englishman Jack Crawford barely saw the field last season. He is expected to be a 4th or 5th defensive end this season for the Raiders if he makes the team. Rookies David Bass and Stacy McGee are both interesting prospects who might surpass both second year lineman Bilukdi and Crawford in playing time this year. 7th round pick from Missouri Western State David Bass showed that he could be an elite pass rusher in college by breaking the school record with 39.5 sacks. Bass has been a huge surprise in mini-camps by not only showing the ability to get to the quarterback as a defensive end but he has also lined up as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Reggie McKenzie surprised many pundits by selecting the massive Stacy McGee in the 6th round of the draft. While McGee has 2nd round talent he had enough personal baggage to drop him to the end of the draft. If McGee can get his life together he could be a steal for the Raiders. McGee is a classic run stuffing defensive tackle who brings ferociousness to the defensive line. Expect the Raiders to add some veteran defensive lineman as the off-season continues. Reggie McKenzie should consider adding defensive end John Abraham to help the pass rush. If the Raiders don’t add more players to the defensive line it could be another long year for Raiders fans.