The Raiders didn’t make many additions at defensive tackle in free agency. They retained Adam Butler, Matthew Butler and Zach Carter, while bringing in 26-year-old free agent Leki Fotu on a one-year contract.
That’s in part because the Raiders hope they’ll improve next year simply by having Christian Wilkins healthy. The 29-year-old, after signing a four-year, $110 million contract in free agency, was limited to just four games last season due to a foot injury.
The Raiders believe Wilkins can be a disruptive force in the middle of their defensive line. That doesn’t mean they won’t add a defensive tackle in the draft for depth in case injuries strike again. Raiders coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have built their teams around their defensive lines in the past.
Here’s where the team stands at defensive tackle and how it could approach the position in the draft, which begins April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin:
Current depth chart
Christian Wilkins, Jonah Laulu, Adam Butler, Leki Fotu, Zach Carter, Matthew Butler, Tyler Manoa
Level of need: Moderate
Wilkins’ return will be huge for the Raiders. They missed his game-wrecking power in the interior last year.
Adam Butler played well in Wilkins’ absence, but he’s better suited to being a rotational player. Laulu was a good find on the waiver wire in August and the Centennial High grad played meaningful snaps by the end of the year.
Fotu was limited by hamstring and knee injuries last season with the Jets but he and Carter can provide solid depth.
It’s a decent group, but the Raiders could help themselves by adding another impact player if one is available. It helps that this year’s draft class is considered deep at defensive tackle.
First-round prospects to watch: Mason Graham, Michigan; Kenneth Grant, Michigan; Derrick Harmon, Oregon; Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Graham, 21, is one of the top players in the draft. He has rare skills as a run stuffer and pass rusher, which means there’s no guarantee he’ll still be on the board when the Raiders pick sixth overall. If he hasn’t been taken yet, it might be hard for the team to pass on his talent.
Graham, who had 46 tackles, a pass breakup and 3½ sacks last season, could form a formidable front four with Wilkins and defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.
Grant, Harmon and Nolen, unlike Graham, aren’t expected to be picked early in the first round.
Second-to-third-round prospects: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State; Shemar Turner, Texas A&M; Darius Alexander, Toledo; Alfred Collins, Texas; T.J. Sanders, South Carolina; Joshua Farmer, Florida State; Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee; Jordan Phillips, Maryland; Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech; Ty Hamilton, Ohio State; Ty Robinson, Nebraska; Jay Toia, UCLA; Cam Jackson, Florida
This draft is loaded with potential starters, so the Raiders don’t need to reach for a defensive tackle in the first round.
Alexander, 24, would be an intriguing addition in the third round with the 68th overall pick. He had 40 tackles, four pass breakups and 3½ sacks last season at Toledo.
Fourth- through seventh-round prospects: Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon; Deone Walker, Kentucky; Rylie Mills, Notre Dame; Cam Horsley, Boston College; Yahya Black, Iowa; Vernon Broughton, Texas; CJ West, Indiana; JJ Pegues, Ole Miss; Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia; Jared Harrison-Hunte, SMU; Warren Brinson, Georgia; Tim Smith, Alabama; Eric Gregory, Arkansas; Elijah Simmons, Tennessee; Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina; Zeek Biggers, Georgia Tech; Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
The Raiders have six picks on the final day of the draft — one in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds, as well as three in the sixth — so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they loaded up on linemen.
Caldwell, 24, and Mills, 23, would both be strong value picks if the team can snag them late. Caldwell had 29 tackles and a forced fumble last season, while Mills had 37 tackles and 7½ sacks.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
