Jeremy Chinn on Raiders’ New-Look Defense

• "The talent acquisition that we've had this offseason and being able to see it kind of play out in front of me, I feel like it's kind of cleared up everything on my end," Chinn said. "Also, just adding all the young guys as well, it's been great just having that depth and having guys who can play so many different spots."

• "I was so excited because I was like, 'Oh my gosh, we have so many weapons,'" Chinn continued. "We can attack from so many different ways, whether it's Quay [Walker], whether it's Nakobe [Dean], whether it's Maxx [Crosby], myself, Qwity [Paye], we have so many areas we can attack an offense. It makes everybody's job so much easier."

Part of the process of changing the culture starts with having the right head coach in place to lead the team. Chinn provided insight into what it's like to play for Klint Kubiak.

• "[Klint] Kubiak has a way that he wants to see things done," Chinn said. "I feel like the competitiveness and the way we want to hold each other to a certain standard, from offense to defense, it's just a level of work that we still need to earn everything. And nothing is going to be given to us. I mean, we don't even have the shields on our helmets right now. So, everything is going to have to be earned from top to bottom, everybody."

Overall Takeaways

Following a disastrous 2025 season, the Raiders have struck gold this offseason, hiring Kubiak, drafting Fernando Mendoza, and adding an impressive amount of talent to a roster in desperate need of formidable reinforcements. The front office deserves a ton of credit for what has transpired over the last few months.

While center Tyler Linderbaum was the Raiders' crown jewel acquisition this offseason, the defensive side of the ball may have improved the most as a whole. As Chinn mentioned, there are a plethora of high-flying athletes on that side of the ball who should turn around a dormant defense from a year ago. For the first time in Crosby's career, it feels like he is surrounded by a legitimate supporting cast. The defense will be exciting to watch and assess this upcoming season.