The Oakland Raiders will have a revamped defensive core this year after a very successful offseason. After the 2013 season, it was clear that the Raiders were in need of defensive improvements, especially when it came to the pass rush.
Oakland has added veteran defensive players such as Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, and Antonio Smith to not only help the Raiders finish games, an area where they struggled last year, but also serve as mentors for young up and comers such as Sio Moore, and 2014 first round draftee Khalil Mack.
Mack will have a huge impact in the AFC West this year and has a lot of potential moving forward. There was a ton of hype surrounding the defensive linebacker around draft time, and the Raiders are glad to have him in the silver and black.
The 6’3” 251-pound linebacker impressed scouts during his time at Buffalo, recording 10.5 sacks as a senior. In Buffalo’s game against Ohio State, Mack made a statement with his 2.5 sacks and nine tackles. Not to mention his impressive interception for a touchdown.
As the 2014 season approaches, the Oakland defense will be interesting to see. Mack has been compared to the Denver Broncos' Von Miller, and could likely reach double-digits in sacks his rookie year.
There has been some speculation as to where Mack will play this year, and he won’t be limited to just one role his rookie year. Head coach Dennis Allen has stated that the Raiders will run a 3-4 base defense this season, and Mack has stated he can play anywhere, as he is versatile in that regard.
As the great Al Davis once said, “the quarterback must go down and he must go down hard.” Pass rushers are an important aspect to the game, and the Raiders have been missing a legitimate pass rush for quite some time. Now they have a stacked core of pass rushers, and should show significant improvement this season.
Mack is a great addition to a rebuilding Raiders team with a lot of upside to be a force in the league. He is a playmaker with great intensity and causes havoc on the field. His rookie season should be an impressive one for the silver and black.