Raiders Team Review: Linebackers have potential
The Oakland Raiders linebacker group has potential. Once again, a lot of this depends on how you look at Khalil Mack. Since he is a guy you always want moving forward, even when he plays linebacker he doesn’t drop into coverage very often. For that reason I listed him with the defensive line. When you take Mack out, the group has some highs, some lows and a lot of young players who could be great or could show the Raiders maybe had too much confidence in them. Let’s take a look.
Bruce Irvin
Let’s start with the good. While many see Irvin as a pass rushing specialist, he’s actually a very athletic defender who plays pretty much every aspect of the linebacker position well. Even if he isn’t rushing the passer, he’s a quality pass defender dropping into coverage. He can also play the run very well and offers some leadership as the clear veteran of the group. Assuming you don’t count Mack in the linebacker category, Irvin is clearly the best player of the group.
Malcolm Smith
It will be interesting to see how the Raiders use all of their front seven players this season. Because of all of the versatility (Irvin, Mack and Shilique Calhoun are all pass rushing specialists who could line up at OLB this season), I would not be surprised to see Smith spending time in the middle, especially on passing downs. Either way, he’s a veteran who is versatile and at the very least is incredible depth who could start on many teams.
Ben Heeney
Almost instantly a fan favorite, Heeney is that player who is always running at full speed and is seen everywhere on the field. He’s a bit small, can have issues getting off of blockers and found himself a bit lost in coverage more than once last season. All that being said, he looks like a real talent who should be in the NFL for years to come for his value as a backup at the very least. We will see if he can grow into a starter.
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Neiron Ball
It’s hard to really know what Ball is other than a guy who is very good at covering tight ends. Ball first saw playing time with the Raiders as a specialized hit man, tasked with taking down opposing tight ends. He did the job well until he got hurt and missed the rest of the year. If he can stay healthy, he’s clearly a guy who adds depth with the potential to develop into something more.
Cory James
After starting his career as an outside linebacker who was primarily a pass rusher, James was moved to middle linebacker when the team changed from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive front. That gave James the opportunity to become a much more versatile player but also puts him in the category of “how do you use this guy?” which can lead to great things or talent that you never seem to get the most out of. Hopefully for James and the Raiders, it results in great things.
Others
The Raiders have a few other players who will be competing for a roster spot. Darren Bates is a special teams stud who could make the team as deep depth. He will be competing with guys like Kory Toomer and John Lotuleilei.
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