Raiders Training Camp Preview: 3 Things To Look Out For On Defense

Congrats football fans, we made it to the end of the offseason.

After months of no NFL Sunday Ticket, no Joe Buck or Troy Aikman on the call and no touchdown celebrations, the 2022 NFL season is finally on the horizon.

The first step: NFL training camp, as a number of franchises are gearing up to welcome both rookies and vets back into the facilities next week, after a month-long hiatus since mandatory minicamps took place. Ten teams are scheduled to have their respective rookies report to camp at the beginning of the week, with veterans expected to report, a few days to a week, after that.

Among those initial ten are the Las Vegas Raiders, having their rookies report Monday, July 18th, the earliest franchises are starting training camp this season. The Raiders made numerous moves on both sides of the ball this offseason, hoping to capitalize on making the playoffs in 2021, by making a deep run in 2022. Particularly on defense, the Raiders splashed via free agency and trades, looking to re-establish the silver & black as one of the elite teams in the AFC.

While there are a ton of key areas to keep an eye on, here are three of the most interesting points to look out for as we preview the offense ahead of Raiders training camp.

Raiders Training Camp Preview: The Partnership of Crosby & Jones

Just like on offense the Raiders made drastic moves on the defensive side of the ball, most notably signing one of the best defensive ends over the last decade, Chandler Jones, to a three-year, $51 million deal.

Jones had been a vital part of the Arizona Cardinals’ D-line since joining the franchise in 2016, achieving the feat of most sacks in franchise history with 71.5. The former Cardinal had also been one of the most elite pass-rushers of the 2010s, tied for second alongside JJ Watt at 96 sacks.

Most sacks in the 2010s

Von Miller 106
Chandler Jones 96
J.J. Watt 96
Cam Wake 95pic.twitter.com/y0h5rDCvm4

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) July 13, 2022

Jones, now 32, is definitely past his prime as the best defensive end in the game, but he can still fill up the stat sheets after playing in 15 games last season, registering 10.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Partnering with the younger Maxx Crosby should help ease the load for Jones.

Crosby, 24, is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance, obtaining 8 sacks and 30 quarterback hits for the Raiders last season. Consistently improving over his first three seasons in the league, “Mad Maxx” has been a wrecking ball, putting the league on notice that the Raiders are back in the fold.

His inclusion in the squad was one of the main reasons Jones signed with Las Vegas, looking to form a tandem that will terrorize the AFC West.

“I think Maxx Crosby is the best defensive player in the NFL,” Jones said after signing with the team. “And I’m saying this proudly. I said this before I was a Raider and now I’m saying this as his teammate.”

The consensus around the league feels the same way as ESPN put both Crosby and Jones in their top ten edge rushers for the 2022 NFL season.

#49ers Nick Bosa comes in at No. 3 in edge rushers on this list. #Raiders Maxx Crosby (5) and Chandler Jones (7) also make top 10 https://t.co/CMb65RwwtX

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) July 8, 2022

The loss of Yannick Ngakoue (traded to the Indianapolis Colts) could have been devastating for the Raiders after leading the team in sacks in 2021. But the addition of Jones is more of an upgrade than anything as the Raiders now have the talent and the mystique of an elite defensive combo.

‘Tis the season! pic.twitter.com/2gzu7vFydv

— ♛Chandler Jones (@chanjones55) July 14, 2022

AFC West: You have been warned.

The Development of The Secondary

The Raiders also made a splash via the trade market, acquiring cornerback Rock Ya-Sin straight up for Ngakoue from the Indianapolis Colts in March, pushing the narrative that the youth movement is on for the Raider secondary.

Ya-Sin, 26, was a quality starter for the Colts in 2021, completing eight passes successfully defended, while registering 31 combined tackles as well. Entering his fourth year out of Temple, Ya-Sin is only making $2.54 million in 2022, a bargain for any starting-caliber cover corner in the NFL.

The former Colt has struggled at times since entering the league, but the partnership with Trevon Mullen should help him settle into life as the second banana in Sin City. “Rock Solid”, as I call him, should be able to make help Mullen on the outside and cover ground with the faster receivers in the league.

The Raiders made what I think will be an important addition to the CB room with Rock Ya-Sin, w/ Trayvon Mullen projecting to start opposite

Mullen had a tough time keeping up in last yr’s Wk 14 gm. Falls on the Mecole double move, then draws 2 flags in coverage pic.twitter.com/qG3f1VZsur

— Ron Kopp Jr. (@Ron_Kopp) July 13, 2022

Moving higher up the field, the development of second-year safety Trevon Moehrig and fourth-year Johnathan Abram will be vital for the Raiders after landing dead last in passing TDs allowed last season.

Abram, almost 26, has been riddled with inconsistent play and injuries throughout his early career. A hard-hitting strong safety, the former Mississippi State product had his best year on the field in 2021, playing in his most games, 14, in a single season while registering 116 combined tackles. Not the best in coverage, Abram will need to improve on his ability to pick up receivers and tight ends if he wants to get that next contract after the Raiders declined his fifth-year option earlier in the year.

Moehrig, 23, has a bit more time on his hands as he heads into his second year in the National Football League. More of a pass coverage free safety, the former TCU product showed why he was so coveted coming out of college, completing six passes successfully defended while picking up 55 combined tackles in his rookie season.

Still a young prospect, Moehrig just needs more reps in the NFL as many expect him to potentially vie for a Pro Bowl selection this season. And given the improvement of the Raiders’ defensive roster as a whole, the young safety may just have the opportunity to showcase his true potential for the Raiders.

“Moehrig impressed many in his first NFL season, and I’m picking him here because of what Las Vegas did this offseason to the group that plays in front of the second-year safety. After a regime change, the Raiders acquired All-Pro edge rusher Chandler Jones and linebacker Jayon Brown to bolster their front seven,” Nick Shook of NFL.com said about the young safety.

“If that duo can help the team get after the passer and stop the run better than it did in 2021 — mind you, Las Vegas already boasted the best pass-rushing duo in Maxx Crosby and the since-departed Yannick Ngakoue — then Moehrig should find ample opportunities to make a difference on the back end. And if he makes the most of those chances, Moehrig just might find himself in the Pro Bowl conversation.”

In terms of depth, the addition of ex-Patriot Duron Harmon to the safety group could pay dividends both on and off the field, providing Moehrig (and possibly Abram), with the advice and wisdom young players need to be successful in the NFL.

Who’s Stopping The Run?

Another area of weakness last season for the Raiders’ defense was stopping the run game, as the team ranked in the bottom third for both yards and TDs allowed on the ground.

Heading into 2022, the silver & black addressed these issues by signing defensive tackle Bilal Nichols from the Chicago Bears for 2-years, $11 million. Playing both the edge and inside at nose tackle in his career, Nichols will be able to ease the load for Raiders veteran, Jonathan Hankins, by providing another disruptive force on the inside of the D-line. The former Chicago Bear had his best season as a pro in 2021, sacking the QB three times while assisting on 51 combined tackles.

Moving to the linebacker group, Las Vegas added former Tennessee Titan standout, Jayon Brown, during the offseason, hoping to take the pressure off Pro Bowler Denzel Perryman.

Brown, 27, has had some regression to the mean after being one of the Titans’ leading linebackers in 2019 with 105 combined tackles and eight passes successfully defended. Riddled with injuries since then, Brown only had 55 combined tackles in the 10 games he played during the 2021 season.

Still, a one-year, $1.25 million flier for a former standout from UCLA is worth the risk if he can get back to his 2019 form. Able to play both in the 3-4 and 4-3, the Raiders can use him in a variety of ways alongside Perryman and second-year LB Divine Diablo as new Raiders linebacker coach Antonio Pierce mentioned the trio during minicamp last month.

“Good. Eager group that’s hungry to learn, a championship mentality just from the work ethic,” Pierce said on his early impressions of the linebacker group. “Obviously, we got leadership there with (Divine) Deablo, Denzel Perryman and Jayon Brown.”

A group with the principles of work ethic and leadership…feels like forever that Raider Nation has been waiting to hear those words, especially after leading the league in penalties over the last season.

The #Raiders 2021 Defensive Ranks

Total: 26th
Points Allowed: 26th
Yards Allowed: 14th
Yds/Play: 7th
Turnovers: 28th
1st Downs: 20th
Penalties: 17th
Scoring %: 25th
Sacks: 21st
Pressure Rate: 17th
Points Added: 28th (-138….)
Depth of Target: 27th

Really a bad unit total

— Tristen Kuhn (@KuhnTristen) July 10, 2022

A breath of fresh air is what this defensive unit needs, and hopefully the acquisitions and trades have allowed the coaching staff to do just that in 2022.

The Las Vegas Raiders officially kick off their 2022 NFL training camp with rookies reporting Monday, July 18th. Veterans are scheduled to report two days later on Wednesday, July 20th.

Click here for a look at the Las Vegas Raiders offense. 

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