Through the last several months of the offseason, there has yet to be any clarity on the contract situation involving star defensive end Khalil Mack that has bleed over the entire preseason and training camp. This has provided the opportunity for the rest of the roster to work toward filling that huge void on the defensive line in place of Mack.
According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, veteran defensive end Bruce Irvin has voiced that he has been impressed by how some of the team's rookie defensive lineman — namely Maurice Hurst, P.J. Hall, and Arden Key — have performed with the former Defensive Player of the Year out of the mix.
“The rookies in our room are really going to help us. They really have no choice, we need them. Those guys are picking it up good and learning. They're coming out here and working their butts off. They're doing really good with their rookie duties. We need them and those guys are doing good.”
The Raiders are in need of stability along the defensive line as the team has struggled to create consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks over the last couple of years. In fact, the team has posted just 56 total sacks over the last two campaigns with Mack being responsible for 21.5 sacks in that stretch.
This has only heightened his importance on the defensive front along with speak toward how pressed the team is in the position to possess more talent that can help in that critical regard.
Although how things have played out with the Mack situation is not what has been hoped for at this point, it has opened up the door for Raiders' young players to prove that they can step up in his absence.
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