The 2nd linebacker the team signed was Nick Kwiatkoski, previously of the Chicago Bears. During his time in Chicago, he was a part-time player but showed enough prospective and assure that Mike Mayock and company chose to bet on him. The team signed him to a rewarding offer to end up being a full-time starter for the very first time in his career.
Over the offseason, the Raiders determined the linebacker position as their greatest requirement on defense. That is why they attacked the position so heavily in totally free agency, signing not one, however two veteran linebackers.
The first finalizing was Pro Bowler Cory Littleton, who played the very first four seasons of his career with the Rams. According to Pro Football Focus, Littleton has graded out as the fifth-worst linebacker in the NFL through 5 weeks.
That move is already paying dividends as Kwiatkoski is performing like an All-Pro at the position. He had a profession day on Sunday in Week 5, dominating in protection versus the Chiefs. He likewise made a number of “splash” plays in the run game to assist the Raiders leave the field.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kwiatkoski currently ranks as the websites No. 8 linebacker in the NFL through the first five weeks of the season:
If Kwiatkoski can maintain this pace and stay on the field, he must receive Pro Bowl honors for his play. You can make a strong case that hes been Mike Mayocks finest finalizing up until now as he has actually assisted change this defense. If the Raiders can get Littleton back to his Pro Bowl level of play, the Raiders could have one of the very best linebacker duos in the NFL.
According to Pro Football Focus, Littleton has actually graded out as the fifth-worst linebacker in the NFL through 5 weeks. The second linebacker the group signed was Nick Kwiatkoski, formerly of the Chicago Bears. He also made several “splash” plays in the run video game to help the Raiders get off the field.
Nick Kwiatkoski had his best video game up until now as a Raider on Sunday.
— 83.0 total grade– 89.1 protection grade– targeted two times and tape-recorded 2 PBUs for a 39.6 passer rating when targeted.
His ranks among LBs in 2020:.
— 78.1 total grade (8th)– 84.4 protection grade (6th) pic.twitter.com/AAGyT8MG9f.
— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) October 13, 2020.
If the Raiders can get Littleton back to his Pro Bowl level of play, the Raiders could have one of the finest linebacker duos in the NFL.
After being injured in Week 1 and missing a few contests after that, the Raiders defense suffered mightily. Kwiatkoski might just be their finest protective gamer and his speed and athleticism enable them to match up with any offense.
LOOK: 100 best images from the Raiders win over Chiefs in Week 5.
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100 images.
