The Las Vegas Raiders and the rest of the NFL brought in a plethora of young talent during and after the NFL Draft. The Raiders were one of the busier teams after the draft though, as the front office signed 10 Undrafted Free Agents. Each rookie will have a chance to prove their worth during training camp.
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock made quite a few moves this offseason. Some made sense while others were head-scratchers. Even so, the main issue on the roster last year was on defense, as Vegas finished near the bottom in almost every defensive stat. The Raiders made sure to acquire some new talent on defense, as Vegas selected five defensive players out of their seven picks available.
After the draft, the front office then signed three defensive players as UDFAs, providing a ton of developmental pieces on the defense. There will be plenty of position battles going down in Las Vegas, as the roster is filled with youth. It should be an interesting summer for the Raiders, as they need their defense to be the best as possible if they hope to be competitive next year.
Considering they're in a tough AFC West division, where the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos (outside of quarterback) all have the tools on offense to light up the scoreboard. Las Vegas will have their hands full throughout the season, but the multiple new faces on defense will give the Raiders the best roster possible in 2021.
With that said, of the 10 UDFAs on the roster, one stands out amongst the rest. He plays in a position of need for this team and opportunity is there for his taking. This team needs help on defense and he can provide some solid depth to a weak linebacker group.
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Max Richardson
Max Richardson comes into a favorable situation, as the Raiders linebacking core is below average in comparison to the rest of the league. Coming out of Boston College, Richardson spent five years in the NCAA, serving as a redshirt his second year in school. He turned out to be a stud in his final two years, as he racked up a total of 206 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, and seven sacks in that time span. In 2020, Richardson finished 11th in the nation in total tackles (99), making him a tackle machine the Raiders desperately need.
According to Ourlads, the current starting linebackers on the team are Nicholas Morrow, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Corey Littleton. Those three will likely be the starters at the beginning of the season. However, the depth at the position is up for grabs, which bodes well for Richardon's chances.
It's safe to say that Divine Deablo makes the final roster, as he was selected in the third round. For that reason, Richardson will be competing against veterans for a spot on the final roster. Considering his collegiate career, Richardson has garnered plenty of experience. He'll have to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but consistency as a tackler should earn him a place on the team.
Follow Us
Subscribe