This is the seventh piece in a series that will look at each position – the additions, subtractions, and pre-training camp depth chart as I see it.
Other positional corps in the series:
Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line, Quarterbacks, Running Backs, and Fullbacks.
The Raiders’ defensive line, a weakness overall in 2014, has the opportunity to be considered a strength in 2015 with a couple of big – literally – additions.
Returning to the fold are defensive ends Justin Tuck, Denico Autry, Shelby Harris and Benson Mayowa as well as defensive tackles Stacy McGee, C.J. Wilson and Ricky Lumpkin. New to the team are rookie defensive ends Mario Edwards Jr, Max Valles and Gary Wilkins, the last of whom joined the team as an undrafted rookie. Added to the defensive tackle position are prized free agency signing Dan Williams and undrafted rookie Leon Orr.
The starting lineup projects to be a mix of returning and new. Seasoned veteran Justin Tuck is in line to start at defensive end again this year after having a good year in 2014. Per PFF, Tuck was the 17th highest rated 4-3 defensive end in the league last season, finishing just above Chicago’s Jaren Allen and Denver’s DeMarcus Ware in their scoring.
Projected to join Tuck as the starter on the other side of the line is 2nd-round selection and rookie Mario Edwards Jr out of Florida State University. Edwards will be a rotational piece on the defensive line so that he doesn’t wear down later in his rookie year but he has already started getting packages in which he is the starter earlier this offseason, which means the team likes his skill set.
The middle looks likely to be clogged up by two large defensive tackles in Dan Williams and Justin Ellis, who are listed at 315 and 334 lbs, respectively. That will put a lot of beef up front and should make the Raiders very stout against the run but neither Williams nor Ellis are known for being able to collapse the pocket with a great pass rush up the middle so their presence will require the rush ends to really excel at beating their man to put pressure on the quarterback or the cornerbacks are going to have a difficult time this season.
While I project these four to be the starters, there is another component at play that could throw off who is on the field at the start of the game. Khalil Mack, listed as a linebacker, has bulked up substantially and is line to again play as a defacto extra down lineman this season.
Having added approximately 13 pounds of muscle to bulk up to somewhere around 265, Mack is much more a defensive end than a linebacker at this point and it’s less likely this year that he drops into coverage, something he only did sparingly even in 2014.
Conceivably, the team will mix and match among those five players: Tuck, Edwards Jr., Williams, Ellis, and Mack to come up with a solid first-team front that can rotate a bit depending on the offensive package.
Benson Mayowa and sixth-round rookie Max Valles have the inside track as backup defensive ends with C.J. Wilson also in the mix to play at a variety of defensive positions, including end. Mayowa and Valles are both lighter defensive ends, around 250-255 lbs and are more likely to be subbed in during obvious passing downs. 2014 7th round selection Shelby Harris is in the mix, too, but will need to take a big step forward this season.
The Raiders do not have a lot of depth behind their starting DTs and it’s up in the air at this point as to who has the inside track to back up Williams and Ellis. Stacy McGee was a possible breakout candidate last year but seemingly regressed. Ricky Lumpkin has been with Oakland since 2012 and has only played in 7 total games, never starting any.
Leon Orr is an interesting possibility at backup DT, with an imposing height and weight combination. He has some attitude question marks, however, and he may not have the competitive drive to push to make the roster in training camp.
There is also C.J. Wilson, who had a pretty good year as a back up last year and will likely fill a rotational role at both DE and DT depending on the down and distance needs.
On paper, there is increased talent and depth along the defensive line this year as GM Reggie McKenzie made it a priority in both free agency (Dan Williams) and the draft (Edwards Jr., Valles). If those players pan out, the team could boast a pretty decent defensive line in 2015, with Mack also coming and providing pressure.
If, however, Edwards or Williams isn’t as good as McKenzie hopes or Tuck starts to feel his age – or worse if the injury bug hits the defensive line – the defensive depth, while better this year, is not good enough to start a next-man-up scenario at multiple positions.
There is a lot of football yet to be played but my prediction for the defensive line at this time is:
DE: Mario Edwards Jr., Justin Tuck, Benson Mayowa, Max Valles
DT: Dan Williams, Justin Ellis, Stacy McGee, C.J. Wilson
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