Best Defenders Raiders will Face in 2025

Pete Carroll takes over as the head coach, but he will let new Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly run the offense the way he wants. It will be interesting to see how Kelly puts all the old and new pieces together. 

The Raiders’ schedule features players who will test their new-look offense. Who are some of those players? 

Let’s break down a few of the best defensive players Las Vegas will face this upcoming season. 

For this exercise, we will choose three defenders, and it is tough to omit players. Don’t be upset if we leave off a defender who may deserve to be on the list. 

Week 12: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns defensive end - Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year is back in Cleveland after thinking about a trade out of town. 

Garrett has never beaten the Raiders in his career, but he has totaled 13 tackles and two and a half sacks. Those numbers are much lower than he is capable of, so expect Garrett to try to add more disrupting plays against the Silver and Black this season. 

Cleveland is not expected to be a good team next season, but the Raiders should expect nothing but elite play from Garrett. The game plan will center around slowing down No. 95. 

Weeks 10 and 14: Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos cornerback - Raiders fans are quite familiar with Surtain, but not in a good way. 

Surtain has given the Raiders fits for years, totaling 33 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions. He has shut down some of the Raiders’ top receivers in eight career games. 

The Broncos may deploy Surtain against Bowers, which would be a tough design to figure out. Expect Surtain to continue to cause problems for Las Vegas. 

Week 17 - Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants defensive tackle - We could have gone with Jalen Carter or one of Danielle Hunter or Will Anderson Jr. here, but Lawrence is arguably the best defensive tackle in the NFL. 

Lawrence has faced the Raiders twice in his career, but he did not make a major impact in either game. He has only totaled nine tackles and a quarterback hit. 

Lawrence is a much better player now, and he will be a force on the interior. The Raiders must be ready to slow down a player who can stop the run and rush the passer.

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